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Maya is a big cheater

A spiritual discourse weaving astrology, philosophy, and cautionary tales about illusion.

"God or the Sun does not make a difference between humans and animals. So do not think the sun is only for us; that is human thinking."

"Māyā is illusion. Such an illusion that you think that is all. I cannot be without this: my money, my wife, my husband."

Swami Maheshvaranand leads a morning satsang, beginning with the astrological significance of the day. He discusses planetary influences on all life, the importance of discerning auspicious signs, and the pervasive, deceptive power of Māyā (illusion), illustrated with the parable of a deadly snake. He explores liberation through the teachings of Kabīr and Maṅgīlālji, emphasizing sādhanā and transcending duality to merge with Brahman, thus escaping the cycle of rebirth and even the great dissolution (Mahāpralaya). The talk includes a story about Kabīr witnessing a grinding mill, and concludes with a devotee sharing a testimony about a charitable school project.

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

Hari Om, Śrī Deep Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān, Devādhi Deva, Deveśvara Mahādeva, Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandjī Bhagavān, Satya Sanātana Dharma. Today is a beautiful day. It is Thursday, Guruvar, dedicated to Jupiter, and Jupiter is the seat of the Gurudeva. Today is a very nice day. Every day is dedicated to a certain constellation according to a planet. Now the question is: does this planet affect only humans, or other creatures and vegetation too? Yes, it influences everything. When the sun rises, it is not only for humans but for the whole part of this earth where the sun is present. Everyone benefits from the sun. The sun is one, but how much does it give us: life, energy, etc.? The earth, the water, the fire, vegetation, and every creature. God or the Sun does not make a difference between humans and animals. So do not think the sun is only for us; that is human thinking. Therefore, these days are for everyone, for everything. On this day, if we can fast, then we have more time, energy, and concentration for fasting. But this fasting is for healthy people. Pregnant women should not fast. Certain ill persons should not fast. But those who are healthy can benefit from something good. According to astrology, we are collecting and understanding which constellations have their names on our body. The language may be different, but for astrologers, it is the same. According to that, we should follow, but not in a fanatical way. For example, the lines on our palm have signs that indicate differences, and these change every decade. You should know what these signs are. Yesterday we were talking about what we call Īśvara Yoga. Svara-yoga Sādhanā is also connected to the lines on our palms. It is called hand reading, and also reading the soles of our feet. So look at your foot soles. What kind of line is there? That is called Lakṣmī, or it is called the horse line, and that line is very good. These two constellations definitely bring good luck. Whoever comes and walks in your house will bring fortune. So you should look at your foot soles when you are bathed. You must clean your feet nicely, and then you see there are lines. There are some other lines which are destructive, and when a person with such a constellation steps in your house, it can bring unhappiness and problems. When your house is peaceful and everything is very good, and one person comes who has such a constellation, it will create restlessness in the whole family. Does it matter if a boy or a girl is coming? There will also not be harmony. Therefore, it is very important when you choose someone, not only emotionally, because that emotion can destroy the whole family: the mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, the grandparents—everything. This one person can bring all the disturbances. The whole house is destroyed. You will die, but the next generation is everything because of God. It was such a house, so good for people, but what happens? This is destruction. So there we can influence a little through our svara-yoga and also through what we call vāstu-śāstra. It cannot change so much, but still it has some effect. Similarly with astrological constellations. It is for animals too. When a bunch of deer sitting together is peaceful, and one deer comes which is very restless and angry, it disturbs everyone. They will come and hit you, not sit there. Similarly with dogs or other creatures. But humans are too much. They have psychic problems, and they put the guilt on others. So, the karma that they are doing, how is it going? Sometimes you think this is one of the most dear ones. But look there, what is inside? That is very important. Besides this, in Līlā Amṛt, it is written about Mahāprabhujī and Maṅgīlālji. Maṅgīlālji was a householder and a disciple of Mahāprabhujī. He got self-realization, and it is called Jīvan Mukta. Living on this earth, he was already in mokṣa. We have some good constellations, but maybe for 14 minutes. In these 14 minutes, it is good. And then suddenly someone comes in and destroys your whole spiritual sādhanā. Everything. And then this person will destroy you again, so you are lost on both sides. Similarly, there were questions from some sādhus. How is it about what we call when this world will disappear? Mahāpralaya. Until that Mahāpralaya takes place, we will move in different lives, sometimes good, sometimes not. But the Kabīrdāsīs have one nice thing written by Bhajan, very nice. Kabīr Dās Jī said: "Māyā mahā ṭhaṅgnī ham jānī." Māyā is illusion. Such an illusion that you think that is all. I cannot be without this: my money, my wife, my husband, etc., many things. And Dharmarāja and the Yamarājas. So there are two forces, two powers. We call them from the very beginning the Devī Śakti and Āsurī Śakti. One has devī śakti, pure, divine, but āsurī śakti will come, and that āsurī śakti will try to manipulate you so much that you think that is all. This is my heart, one of the best for me, but this is only looking. How it is: there is one snake in the desert, in a certain part of the desert area, and that snake is called Pina. This snake sucks your energy from your mouth and mostly attacks the farmers when they are in their farm, resting at lunchtime, or sleeping, protecting and watching the crops. The person is sleeping; it does not matter if it is a lady, a girl, a boy, a man, or a woman. When you are sleeping deeply, then that snake comes so silently, and it is exhaling, and you do not hear it at all. So you go into a very deep sleep. It is not a joke. You can look on the internet. This snake is very soft; generally, it comes and sits on your stomach. It is big, thick, and then that snake sits like this. And it sucks your breath, exhaling our prāṇa, the smell, our smell. That snake is addicted. It likes it, and when you exhale, it inhales. And when you inhale, it exhales. And in that exhalation, from the poison is a poison. Within a few minutes, your throat becomes very painful and creates a blast. Then what this snake does: it knows that now the vocal cord has swollen. Then, with its tail, it beats like this on the man or woman, the person, and it goes away. Now, this person has a 90% chance of not surviving. If there is a hospital nearby, or there are people who know what they can do, otherwise it is swelling, you cannot breathe, and you die. It is called Patañjali. You can look it up. We have this in the area of the desert in Rajasthan. So they said, "You should not sleep there on the floor under the trees." This is the māyā that comes and sits on you and sucks your energy and gives you poison. And when he or she, the snake, has enough of this energy, then it beats you. It means it alerts you, "I am here now. You have no chance. You will die." Yes, it is. So, thanks to God, we do not have certain things here, and that snake is also one of the 8.4 million. We have here a tick, and when the tick bites us, it can create a very dangerous disease. So this is in all bhajans. It makes you blind. You think it is for temporary enjoyment. It destroys your whole human life. Because we do not come still to that Brahmaloka, here is Maṅgīlālji’s bhajan. So there is a beautiful bhajan of Kabīrdās. I do not know if it is in our bhajan book. We have? Māyā. There are many girls sitting named Māyā. But you are not this, okay? This is a beautiful name. But Māyā means illusion. So do not think, please, there is a woman, okay? Yes, it can be the man. Man can be the big Māyā. Yes, so Māyā, Mahā Ṭhagnī, Hamajānī, Kabīrdās said: I realize that this illusion is a great cheater. He is a great guide. Three, it is the same as your language, also called three. Three, three guṇas. These three guṇas: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. These guṇas have an effect. In these guṇas, it is called three kinds of the rope she has in her hand. But again, not please, I tell about women. It can be the man. Tri guṇa phāṅsī, these are the three guṇas, rope, they will tie your throat or hang you up. Yes. That one who is sweet, nice, my love, that snake-drinking snake comes and catches you and gives you a slap on the back. "Oh, stupid human, out of the human life! Go back into the animals." So this show must... Illusion that you have to be careful. Better, better not to have than to be caught in this. Then you will see the whole ocean of the māyā. So you will be swimming left and under, left and right, where you do not know where you are going. And it is it. For the pujārī, the paṇḍit, there the māyā becomes the statue. And for yogī, it becomes the yoginī or yogī. So there are many, many examples; Kabīr Dās is saying in this bhajan. And Kabīr Dāsjī said, "Still, if you do not understand, for a very short time, for your illusion," you will lose your human life. So we are coming out and in, and out and in, suffering, happy, happy, dead, everything. We go back and forth, and we are happy, and we suffer, and we go back and forth. But someone who understood this, then you can cross the river of wild waters. Otherwise, this wild water will very soon roll you down. You are rolling, there is a rock, your head is on the rock, Hari Om Tat Sat, water goes further. Therefore, it has nothing to do with whether you marry or not. It is like this, it is said, if husband and wife have that oneness, then even they have power in the heaven. But not that, this and that, and this and that. You are gone. Then it is like a dead animal’s bones, one-year-old bones, dry. And then again the dog comes, and the dog bites the bones. He bites and bites, gets all the blood from his tooth, and the dog thinks, "Ah, this is blood from this bone." But this bone has nothing now. So the ignorant one is chewing the dry bones of the animals, and that dog, if it comes near to another dog, you know what the other dog said? You know that. And not only say, "Wow, he is showing these two teeth." That is a māyā. That one now, blind one, is chewing those dry bones. It is your own, your own, your own blood. So that is it. It is said, "If I will find my partner, then I will come. I will wait." May I be 50 years, 40 years, or 100 years, or in the next life, but my one is that one. No, I will not go this and that. Look at Mīrābāī. You know Mīrābāī’s many, many bhajans? But you cannot be that Mīrā. You have to be strong, humble. You do not have the, what you call, the word I have found, I had to find: desire. You are above the desires, and when you have a desire, then you will take this dog bone and another dog bone and another one, and finally you will lose your teeth, so again blood comes from your own, but the dog has got nothing in the stomach. So that is Māyā, Mahā Ṭhaknī, Hamjanī. So Mahāprabhujī is saying, and so the Kuśbhaktas, the sādhus, came to Maṅgīlālji. After getting knowledge from Maṅgīlālji, they asked him, "O Maṅgīlālji, please can you tell us what is Mahāpralaya?" Mahāpralaya means the whole earth will be finished. No trees, no creatures, nothing. And Mahāpralaya comes. You know, there was a Pralaya, not Mahāpralaya, but Pralaya. Many animals and humans died. What you are searching for, they call the animals, big animals, sauria. Similarly, we will be somewhere, I do not know. Maybe somebody will say, "Oh, this is the brain of the human." But who will say it is a human? There is no human to declare the human. Finished. So, what is Mahāpralaya? What happens at that time, saints and mahātmas, mahāpuruṣas? Where do they go? Will everyone grind it in one meal? You are making now the machines; we have very good machines, and it goes quickly. Carrots and other fruits, and others, we put all in and press the button, but there were some worms also. They are also inside. So we all will be drawn inside. But what about this? Sant is written here, I am not, it is not mine, my... and Kabīrdās was many hundreds of years ago. That also, these bhajans are not my bhajans, and Mīrābāī was that time. It is her bhajans, not my bhajans. I am only taking her wisdom, and I am trying to tell her wisdom to us, to me and to you. It is not only that I am giving you knowledge; first, I am getting knowledge. I get the test first and also give you further. So it is said, where the Mahātmas can send, where they go, question. Then Mahāprabhujī answers, "You have your wish." You want to see Jigyāsā. And Jigyāsā means those who have a longing for wisdom, like the four principles of Jñāna Yoga. Sant. So the Maṅgalājī said to calm down and give you peace and bliss, that you will become at peace. Listen to this bhajan that I will sing. Who said it? Maṅgīlālji. Read in Līlā Amṛt. This is a bhajan about Mahāpralaya. I do not know the rāga, but rāga is not necessary. Rāga means also desires. Rāga, dveṣa. So dveṣa is dualism, and rāga is the desires. Many others. Before Mahāpralaya, the peaceful ones, but they merge into Brahman. So the first word of Vātya, of the Maṅgīlālji, it is said, before the Mahāpralaya, before the disaster is coming, the sages, the saints, they will automatically, all saints will enter into the Brahman. All of you are saints now, right? So tell me the truth, from you, who is the saint? We have the one word also, saint, which means perfume. But you have to become that. Otherwise, we will be peeled, we will be ground. It is said there is one bhajan, and that is, it is said, Kabīr Dās’s poem. "Chaltī chakkī dekh kar diyā Kabīrā roye." When the grinder was moving, grinding the grains for the chapati flour, one stone is down. The other stone is on top, and moving. And under there, a little hole, we put the grains inside. And it is grinding this stone, a big, heavy stone. Kabīr Dās sees that. So what Kabīr Dās said, "Chaltī chakkī dekh kar." "Chaltī" means moving, "chakkī" means the grinder. Chaltī chakkī dekh kar, he saw that, Kabīr Dās began to cry. He had tears and fear. All inside will be ground. Between these two stones, all are ground. Nobody remains complete. So tell me, who will remain now? You are all sitting on this grinding stone. He goes to his Gurujī, crying. He said, "What happened? None. None remained." Between these two stones, all the flour was made. Gurujī said, "Yes. Where have you been? Do you want to go inside and look for the liquid?" Gurujī said, "Yes, they are bhaktas." They are who do tapasyā, and not māyā here and there. They will remain complete without damage at all. Gurujī, I believe everything. But this I cannot. With high speed and all the grains pouring in, nice flour comes, chapati flour. I looked, there was not one that came complete. Gurujī said, "Yes, my son, we call all as a son or daughter." There is not only one, but a few; not only a few, but a handful. Gurujī, I believe because you are my Gurujī, but really it is different, Gurujī. Then, Gurujī explains, "How does this stone move? Is there somewhere the tolerance space?" "No, Gurujī, it is a nice living." Gurujī said, "Yes, did you see this stone?" Yes. So one stone has the hole from down in the middle. And the second is on the top. If you want the flour to become very fine, then we will put this one a little down. And if we want it a little, not too fine, then from down we give a little pressure and it goes up. And that remains a little up. Yes, Gurujī, but still broken. Meet the bones? Gurujī said, "Yes." Because that bhakta was, though it was up and down, but it was ground. Then, Gurudev, tell me how. Yes, my dear. Some seeds remain near this hook. They fall here and there, and there is no touching of both stones. So these seeds remain completely untouched, and how should I come there? Sādhanā. Practice, practice with Gurujī. Come close and do not give, always listen to the Gurujī. When you begin to argue, you can argue only a few words, or one word, half a word, until there is—you are come out like the water, chapati, flour. Then why not? Gurujī said, "It is also good. It will go in my stomach or in your stomach." Where will it go? Which loka will it go to? I do not want to say it. You will tell Swāmījī, please. Tell me further. So then Kabīr Dāsī wrote this poem. None remain complete, but we were born as Puruṣas. Now, for me, Puruṣa is both woman and man. May the Vedas say what? The Vedas say only Puruṣa, women are nothing. And that time, I put the Vedas like this. That chapter I closed, and the next chapter was there. There is no duality. Male and female are only physical. The soul, the ātmā, the other four bodies, the prāṇas, the mentals, the knowledge, and what we call the karma. It is without gender. There is no gender duality. So we are all Brahman. Hey, all ladies, write, "I am Brahman," okay? So it is that, and sometimes wise people can also make a mistake, stupid people. So therefore we are all equal, and as long as you are in duality, you are not in the level of the sādhus, sants, and brahmas. You know the story of Mīrābāī. She went to Tulsīdās and sent a message that Mīrābāī came from Rajasthan and would not have a darśan of Tulsīdās. Tulsīdās wrote two letters. I do not see women. That is all. She wrote back, "There is only one man, the Brahman." The Krishna, the Vishnu, whatever. So who is the second one? Only, there is one Puruṣa. I want to see that Puruṣa. Tulsī Dāsjī. Touch his heart. He got knowledge, and he ran and touched the holy feet of Mīrābāī. So when your consciousness is expanding and your knowledge is becoming pure, then there is no gender at all. This is only the creation. Elements, that is it. But you have to become, otherwise, definitely, you are separate. You will kick your husband, and she will pick you in the vine. So the husband will go into the hills, and the woman will go somewhere else. That is a oneness, so pure. Who was the pure? Mīrābāī, the pure, she was not running here and there. Anyhow, Maheśvarānanda, you talk too much, but I have to tell, because this bhajan will take me one, two seminars. Then you understand, otherwise not. So Maṅgīlālji said, "Where are you? Do not hide under the grinding." All they go to the Parabrahma before the Mahāpralaya comes. So do your anuṣṭhāna. Do your sādhanā. Do your mantra. And love all creatures, and do not fight with your parents. I advise your wife, I cannot tell you, but your mother and your father and your real sister and your brother. Because the blood is thicker than water. Understand? That is it. So that one who comes to the Brahman, Brahmanand, is called Brahmanand. So we have one Brahmanand, and Brahmanand is taking, making service in the highest position of Mahāprabhujī’s ashram. In Vienna, taking care of our Mañcādevī, Nāth Brahmanand, and Yāna. So her name is Nāth Brahmānand. What a beautiful name. Nāth Rūpa Parabrahma. And she does do the seva. She does, really. Brahma, Ānanda, Ānanda, Love, Līlā. So those who are Love, Līlā. This is a wonderful word. Love, lean means you are one in love with the Brahman. You are that love, in that you have no two, but that pure one. That is it. So Brahmananda, Ananda, Lavalina. That Brahmananda in Ananda, so the bliss of the Brahman, Lavalin, they are one with it. What happens? Those who will receive or realize, they will again not come in life. What does it mean then? It means we will not come to the Mahāpralaya. We are every day in Mahāpralaya. How many of you are suffering? Yes, very much. Many are sitting only here to catch someone. I can ask you, and someone can give the evidence. Our Diwali is sitting here. Yes, Diwali? Come to me. Ah, yes. And that is why Diwali has so many children. Hundreds and hundreds, and so it is called Gyanaputra. And so she, from the Gyanaputra, came above the Brahman, but she cannot go away. She wants mokṣa, but there are so many children, but she still has a lot of... Children there, she cannot leave the children behind. Okay, so that is why she said, "Please, give some money for the children." You see? You see? Tell her, come on, stand up. You do not need any English, speak in German. I do not understand just… ...with Swāmījī’s help. Without her, it would not have been possible. ...with Swāmījī’s help, it would have been possible. ...to keep the school for 20 years, to keep the business. And there was a time when it was very shaky. But, well, we have Swāmījī. And that is why everything went well. All children like to go to school; they are happy to be there because it is a real school and not just one that consists of four walls and that is it. Now I understood a little that the children are very happy there and that they go to school, but I do not understand German. I do not understand German, just a few words. Ja, das wollte ich euch im Grunde nur sagen. Und dieser Verein, der besteht nun 20 Jahre, und die Schule funktioniert 20 Jahre wunderbar mit guten Lehrern. Und die Schüler lernen sehr viel und sind stolz, in diese Schule gehen zu dürfen und diese Schule zu haben. Und es gibt viele, viele, die sich bemühen, in die Schule zu kommen. 20 Jahre lang existiert diese Schule mit großartigen Lehrerinnen und großartigen Schülerinnen, und sie gehen sehr gerne in diese Schule. For you, it is practically an honor to be allowed to go to school here, and, of course, you would like to have this honor. Sorry, I do not understand. Some students have got a great job, some leading positions, and each of them can earn money, can stand on their own feet, and that is… Students, our young children, many of them have already finished their education, and they have a high position somewhere, and they are very happy. And for example, in Mumbai airport, there are two or three officers. And once one came running, some of our bhaktas came out of the aeroplane, and one came and said, "Hari Om, you do not know me, I am your Gyanputra from Jadam, and you were many times in Jadam." I said, "Oh yeah, oh yeah." Anyhow, so that is what she wanted to say. Thank you, Swāmījī. And now I have a big wish, because there – oh, I do not dare to say – because twenty years have now passed, successful twenty years, I ask you again for a donation, for you have received this school anyway. So many have gone, and many are still in line, in the line to study. And if you can support them in something, they will be very thankful. That is it. And I can tell you one thing: our school and college, our cows, which are 2,500, and nearly 500 workers are day and night working. And the historical Om Ashram is being constructed. And who is doing this? Not Maheśvarānand. All of you, that is it. So I am not proud of myself, but I am proud of you. And not only those who are sitting here now, but in the whole world, so they all thank you. And that good karma, even they do not know who gave them money, because we do not work like missionaries. I do not give the names of the children, nor their addresses. But if someone wants to know in reality what they want to have, then we can ask that this child is this one. Because we do not want to convert religions. So that is why it is called Gyān Putra. Gyān means the knowledge, and Putra means the children. So they are all our children, and we support them. Thank you. So Brahman and Līlā, they become one in the Brahman. Then they will not again be born in this circle of death and life. This is the only way to become free from death and life. And they will not be victims of the pralaya. This is the indication by the seven ṛṣis. Birla sant lakha tehe, rare saints will tell this. Further evening perhaps we will take over. Možno, že večer to dokončíme. Deep nāl bhagvānakī, Devpurī samādevakī, sanātan dharmakī, jai. Māyā mahā ṭhaganī, sing bhajan. These are other ragas. Everyone has different ones. It is time for eating, sorry. Sorry, it is time for eating. Hari Om. I have already forgotten a quarter, and the next program will begin. Those who are fasting can exercise or collect fruits, apples, or other fruits. Hari Om. In the evening, there will be a satsaṅg in the hall.

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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