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Welcome, everyone. This subject is beautiful, but it only has meaning if you practice it. Otherwise, it is like going to the cinema once and coming back—a fleeting experience. In Australia, for example, many people have practiced yoga since I first came in 1983. If practice alone were enough, the whole country would be perfect yogīs by now. But people practice for ten days or a year and then stop. They do not understand what yoga is. Yoga is a lifelong journey. Consider a simple example: do you eat every day? Sometimes we fast for a day or two. Some Indians fast once a year for nine days during Navarātri for the divine mothers, or for one day on Mahāśivarātri. Yet, 99.5 percent of Indians do not practice fasting correctly either. They might drink a liter of milk, eat fruits and sweets, avoiding only chapati, roti, and vegetables. That is not true fasting. I do not include myself in this, as I do not know where I stand now. If we approach spiritual practice like this, we cannot be successful. If you practice yoga or pursue any goal in life, you need a master to achieve it. There are many so-called yoga masters, but that alone is not enough. Yoga is ancient, the very first element in creation, given by God, by Śiva. Do you know Śiva? Very good. Can you see Śiva here in this room? Who cannot see? Perfect. Śiva is sitting here. He is sitting on the Śiva Liṅgam. The Śiva Liṅga is the universe. The whole universe is endless, like the horizon. As you move toward the horizon, it recedes further away. Similarly, Śiva, that consciousness, is like that. What we call Śiva is the entire universe, and that is śūnyākāśa—it is only sound. We see our Earth not merely as a planet but as a living entity. If you stand anywhere and look with instruments, you will see countless creatures. This living creation manifests as the Śiva liṅga. Most people do not know or understand this, which is why we come to yoga. Yoga was brought by Śiva. When Śiva manifested, no one else existed. He appeared in meditation. He had no mother, father, brother, or sister. He manifested himself. This is called Swayambhū. There are other things that are also Swayambhū, a subject for another time. Thus, Śiva is the creator, the protector, and the liberator. Some say Brahmā is the creator, Viṣṇu the protector, and Śiva the destroyer. But Śiva does not destroy this world; we must change that understanding. In truth, all three functions reside in Śiva. If you read the Mahāśiva Purāṇas, you will learn that Śiva creates Viṣṇu and Śiva creates Brahmā. There is a narrative where Brahmā, sitting on a beautiful lotus above the ocean, wonders: "Who is my creator? Where is my creator? Who is my mother? Who is my father?" He sees nothing around him. As described in scriptures, Brahmā has four heads, representing all four directions and encompassing all knowledge. There is a beautiful Mahāśivapurāṇa video made in a modern style, almost like a nightclub presentation, but it is very insightful. If you watch it chapter by chapter, it will take two to three months, but it is profound knowledge. To understand these truths, one should refer to the Mahāśivapurāṇas. Imagine being in the center of Australia, standing alone with nothing around, wondering, "Where is my home?" Similarly, Brahmā journeyed through the water, along the stem of the lotus whose roots were below. I will explain this in detail another time. This is a beautiful science, and this is the beginning of yoga. Where is yoga in your body? You are everything. There is no one else. All that exists is you. The distinctions of "you," "me," "he," and "she" are illusory. In reality, we are one. If we take blood from any of us, it is the same color. Whether blood drips from a human, an animal, or a bird, it is blood. We are only one. We merely inhabit these bodies temporarily. Now, Brahmā was diving into the endless ocean. Earlier, Bhagavān Śiva created Viṣṇu and instructed both to reside in the water. How did the water come? The elements emerged sequentially. The heat of Viṣṇu, like sweat, created the ocean. Thus, Viṣṇu resides in the water. In Nepal, at the Paśupati Mahādeva temple, there is a pond outside, and beside it, a statue of Viṣṇu reclining. Everyone goes to offer praṇām. I have been there many times. That is Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is fire, and fire cannot exist without water. Yet, fire is within the water. Our water also contains fire. So Viṣṇu resides there. Brahmā dove deeper and deeper for ages, seeking his root. Sometimes we cannot find our roots. Let me tell you a real story. Long ago, in a kingdom, a king had a son. An astrologer foretold the prince's future, saying he would be perfect, strong, and beautiful, but with one terrible fate: he would marry his mother. The palace was devastated. The king ordered shepherds to take the child to the forest, kill him, and let animals eat him. The warriors took the boy but, unwilling to kill him, left him under a bush far away, thinking, "Let his karma decide. If God gives life, no one can take it." A shepherd found the child and raised him. The king and soldiers believed the child was dead. The boy grew up and traveled to Greece. There was a wise woman named Sophie who could see the truth. When the young man approached her, she said, "Do not come to me. I do not want to see your face. You are a sinner. You will marry your mother. Go away." The young man, about 20-25 years old, was heartbroken. He prayed, "God, please do not let me meet my mother," not knowing who she was. He closed his eyes, spun around, and walked in the direction he faced. He repeated this process, hoping to avoid his mother. Eventually, he arrived at a kingdom where the king had died, and the queen was ruling. He married the queen, not knowing she was his mother. That was his destiny. Who was that boy? It is a real story. No matter how hard you try to escape your destiny, you cannot. Destiny is fixed. A true Satguru is one who has left the body; only then is he a Satguru. He gives blessings for the work to continue through disciples. You may become a master, a successor, but the Satguru is singular, and there must be a paramparā, a lineage from your master. If you think you are already a guru, everything you do will go astray. You must search for that true master. In Nepal, there are many stories. The king of Nepal was always worshipped as an incarnation of Viṣṇu. However, influences from British universities led to changes, suggesting certain traditions were unnecessary. This deviation from the master's path led to destruction. Some years ago, about 20-25 years back, a tragedy occurred within the royal family. When you do not follow the true master, destruction follows. Initially, there may be happiness, but ultimately, there is distraction. If you practice yoga correctly, it is beneficial; otherwise, it is not. Physical exercise is good for the body, but we need to nurture our soul as well. Bhagavān Viṣṇu is the protector, residing in the ocean. Now, Brahmā is sitting here. This is Brahmā. And who is this? Brahmā's Sarasvatī. This is complicated. It is not a simple husband-wife relationship. Sarasvatī is, let us say, half of Brahmā's body, like his wife, yet simultaneously his daughter. Those who read superficially may criticize, asking how a goddess can be both. But the knowledge, vidyā, is Sarasvatī. This knowledge is the creation of Brahmā, which he bestowed. All the Vedas come from Brahmā, who holds them in his four hands. That wisdom is the knowledge. Sarasvatī, though the goddess of knowledge, also holds a book. This signifies that no matter how much you have studied, you must constantly keep learning. Do not ever say, "I need not learn anymore; I am great." Otherwise, we stagnate. Vidyā belongs to Sarasvatī, and we need this vidyā; without it, there is destruction. Returning to the narrative: Viṣṇu told Brahmā, "I am your creator." Brahmā refused to accept this. Then Śiva appeared, as described in the Śiva Purāṇa. Śiva said, "Viṣṇu, you did not create Brahmā. I am the creator of both Brahmā and you, Viṣṇu." Viṣṇu acknowledged this. Thus, the creator of Viṣṇu and Brahmā is Śiva. That Śiva, who has no wife or husband, exists alone. Subsequently, Śakti emerged, meaning power or energy. People misunderstand Śakti as a wife; it is the energy we all must have. Then Brahmā was happy. Śiva instructed Brahmā to begin creation. Then came the Sapta Ṛṣi, the seven holy saints created by Brahmā. They are still present in the sky, seen as specific stars in astrology. From these seven ṛṣis, human creation began. Yet, Brahmājī faced a second disappointment. The first was not finding his creator. The second was that he created sons from his eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth, but each son declared, "Father, I have no desires. I only wish to meditate and depart." All seven sons left. Even Brahmā experienced disappointment. Who are we, then, to complain? The narrative continues. We always speak of the lotus. This is a lotus with its petals. Where is its root? It was in the navel. From Viṣṇu's navel emerged the lotus. Śiva created it and said, "Viṣṇu, Brahmā, this is your holy seat." Thus, Brahmā is always on the beautiful lotus. This lotus corresponds to our navel. In creation, when a mother becomes pregnant, it begins with a drop from that ocean, forming the embryo. You can see such pictures today. The embryo hangs, and the first point is the navel—the center of the center. This center is connected to the supreme consciousness of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva. The creator is always Śiva, though some now say Brahmā is the creator and Śiva the protector. These concepts have evolved over many ages and yugas. If you search on the computer, on Google, you can learn about all the yugas: kṣaṇa, pala, hour, day, and so on. The calculations span billions and trillions of years. The cycles of Brahmā and Viṣṇu are like that. My dear, we are human. We are God. God is not seen anywhere externally. If we cultivate negativity, we become like devils and will regress. If we follow all rules and regulations with sincerity, we ascend to the highest state.