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A spiritual discourse on the five sheaths (kośas) and the impact of nourishment.

"Jaisā khāī annā, vaisā rahe man—what kind of nourishment or food you are eating—like that will turn your mind."

"So first is the physical nourishment, Annamaya Kośa... What kind of food you will eat, like that will be your mentality."

Swami Ji explains the five layers of human existence, beginning with the food sheath (Annamaya Kośa). He emphasizes how diet shapes one's energy, mind, and consciousness, weaving in critiques of modern food systems, historical anecdotes about pre-industrial community life, and cautionary tales about arguing with a spiritual master. The talk uses the symbol of the crocodile in the Svādhiṣṭhāna chakra to represent destructive emotions.

Filming location: Auckland, New Zealand

This meditation and relaxation is to bring our whole energy and concentration, and to become aware of our self, our body, our mind, and our soul. We divide it into two parts. Shortly, we said there is a physical body, a mental body, and a subtle body. Only these three. But when we go deeply, there are five bodies. In these five bodies are: the physical body, the prāṇa body, the mental body, the astral body, and the body of consciousness. These are elements. Also, five, we connect this into the five elements. In this we have the body, the physical body, and then the mental body. So, Annamaya Kośa. Anna means food. So, physical body, physical nourishment. Whatever you eat—I am not telling you what you should eat or not—but it is food, nourishment. Annamaya Kośa. After comes the Prāṇamaya Kośa. Now, whatever we eat, it develops into the strength, the prāṇa, the śakti. When you are very hungry and tired, and you come and eat, drink a glass of orange juice, or you eat one fruit or some biscuits or an apple or some bread, anything. It gives us strength, and that is prāṇa, Prāṇamaya Kośa. So kośa means one after the quarters, let's say. So, Annamaya Kośa, we need our food. Now, food, we said, "Jaisā khāī annā, vaisā rahe man." This is saying in our yogic nourishment. "Jaisā khāī annā"—what kind of nourishment or food you are eating—"vaisā rahe man"—like that will turn your mind. It is a goli. There are many different goli. You know, goli means the bullet. That is also goli. And I was the gong. Okay. So, "Jaisā khāī anna." Anna means the corn. Corn means the rice, the wheat, different kinds. This is for us, plus the vegetarian. It is said that you should not destroy a complete plant. So eat this, but do not take it out from the tree. Do not pull it out. Do not take it. But let it dry and drip. And then we shall eat. But I think that at that time, there was little human population. So, everything, but still we have enough food. We have enough food to eat. I am coming out of this subject. Before the First World War, people were eating meat, but only occasionally. Otherwise, everyone had good food: grains, vegetables, milk. And milk was also, in that way, what you just needed. There were no dairies at that time. And in my country—my country is the whole world—but in India, what we are saying, that time, not now, two things we will not sell: food and milk. Food means children. We do not sell our children. And we do not sell our cow's milk, cow, or buffalo, or goat, or so. We do not sell the milk, and we do not sell the children. So if you do not have a cow or milk, the village people, everyone, they will say, "Please, I am bringing you milk. I give you milk." They give you the milk so much that you do not need it, so much that. So people are here, with so much respect, and giving something. Sometimes they do not take the money. I work for you. If, let's say, I am the painter painting the wall, I paint for you, and another will work for your farmers. He gives you green wood, and he will do this. He will always transfer, not transfer, changing. And then, around 1975, someone made a society where we would not take money from anyone, but you would have. So the dentist should not take the money, but the dentist will give what he needs. Food, this, that, the working, who is builder is building for him. So it was like this, changing everything. It was so very nice, but unfortunately, in 10 years, it went again away. Anyhow, I am coming, so that is good, and support the milk and. Children cannot be sent, but then it came slowly, slowly. It came back: tea and coffee, tea and so on. In the tea drinking, drinking,... it came: a tea shop. And now he needs milk, but he takes money, and so slowly, slowly, the milk begins to sell. And now nobody gives you milk, one cup. Free all, this is to happen like this. Similarly, before this First World War, everywhere, people were not eating so much meat, not slaughtering animals so much. But after that, what happens? There was... A people got poor, and there was nothing, and like this, but there were the soldiers from the different countries, war from Russia, from America, from some country. So what were the soldiers going to eat? There was no restaurant there, and there was also no restaurant to begin with. I remember I live in Austria, and still there is in some part of the Ijahar in high mountains, and in the mountains they are farmers. And the farmers have their farmhouse. Male, female, children, they are working in the field, and in their house, no lock. No lock at all, and it is open. You can go in, and first, what is there is a nice kitchen. And there is a table like this. On the table, there is one little basket. And on the basket, there is written, "Dear friend, eat, and if there is something missing, here is your money. You go and buy what you need." They offer you money. If there is something missing, please go and buy. Not that you give your money back, no. That was, I have seen with my own eyes, some farmers, they were like this, and still, still, the farmers, they are in high mountains and like this, they do not lock anything. But now it is different. We said the lock is for a good person. The lock is for a good person. If a good person comes and sees a lock, okay, nobody is at home, let us go. But for the thief, there is no lock. He will take iron, open it, and go and steal it. Certain things happen. So anyhow, let us say the guest house, rest house, there is now eating, and they were eating meat and this and that. And when the soldier went out, people ran in, and what had remained there, they were eating and taking. So far it was a problem. We do not know what it was, how it was. We are like nothing. We are like throwing everything, and this and that. But there was a time, when the Second World War came, and there were more problems. Then it came, in the Second World War, came one word, and that is called the high society. What? High society. And high society means eat meat, drink alcohol, dance, money, nicely dressed. So we lost our costumes, what we used to wear, our dress from that time. And now, high society, high, high, high means finished. So in that way, what happened? Who can eat the meat? Rich person, and everyone wanted to eat the meat. And so the slaughterhouse and slaughter farmer cows are there, and they try to sell cheaper. And now people have lost eating proper, good vegetables and good food, nourishment. Only the meat, and this, and only meat. How? And now, people have no knowledge of cooking, many, many things. And that is why we are suffering so much illness. Otherwise, in that time, before or after this time of the Second War, between the First and Second War, the people were living more than 100 years. And now I can give you a challenge: you will feel after 30 years like, "I am old." And slowly, slowly, our age is falling down and down. How many diseases, how many diseases. Again, come to the good way. So now, God always brings something changing. And now, around the whole world, someone began this movement, and that is called vegan food. And even in an aeroplane, they ask for vegan food, and they have to give them more vegan. So many shops, and everywhere there is a vegan shop, it is always full of people, like it. So again we come, so it is said, "Jaisā khāye ann, vaisā rahega man." What kind of food you will eat, like that will be your mentality. So first is the physical nourishment, Annamaya Kośa. Kośa means the quarter, so let us say part of our body. Not body, our life. So first is our nourishment, and we have destroyed. I do not want to go very far now. I want to talk about this. But this is the crocodile here, and in this crocodile is. But now, how it is happening is written in our chakras, and Kuṇḍalinī signs are coming there. So, it is also, we can say, how many diseases came? So it is like that I lost my trousers. I tried to push my trousers up, and my head fell down. I get my head to fall down. I lost my shoes. Yeah. So what does that mean? I take one injection, and three diseases will appear. And I give the medicine for this treatment, the fourth hour coming. So we became, our body became a bag, a bag of, like we have the container of the garbage. So our body has become a container of chemicals. And slowly, slowly, chemicals, chemicals, because even the chemicals of pesticides are already in the underground water. Because it was raining and going into the water. If it is true or not, but it was told, or it was in newspapers in Austria. I am living in Austria, so at some time I am having good messages also. So we have a beautiful river flowing near Austria, and it is coming from Germany to the Black Sea. And they said, once they said, "Why are there not so many fish near Austria or Vienna?" and like this. And they researched, and then they researched, because so many women are taking the tablets not to get the children. And now their water, their urine, etc., what goes to the rivers, it also goes. Now, fish get this water, and fish also cannot give them so many eggs and so many babies. This was told to me by one of my disciples. I do not want to say the name because maybe he or she is listening to what I am talking, and we will say Swāmījī is saying my name. But that person told me in a newspaper, and this. So, how many women, ladies, how many chemicals did they take? But not only that, they cannot get a child, but also fish cannot. So, but in one way, okay, we do not kill them, at least. Thank you. So again, I am coming to this. Chakra will go today more. So "Jaisā khāī an vaisā rahe man." What kind of nourishment you have. It means the solid or liquid. Like that will be your mentality, your behaviors, etc. So this is called Annamaya Kośa. Anna is nourishment, and anna also means all corns and so on. Annamaya Kośa, and according to that, our mentality will turn. Now, everybody has so much love. Your dog is more loved than your husband. And the dog is loved more than your wife, because when you come home and open the door, you are loved. Who hugs you first? Yeah, the dog. And you say, okay, okay, okay. And the wife said, okay, be peaceful, and he comes and hugs her also. How much love has this creature? And also, when you come, your cat, "meow, meow," she is turning on you, all the time rubbing your legs and giving so much, so much hair coming out. And the neighbor, she is okay. So, how many animals at the same time, how they are killing and how they are eating. So they only care for their own dog, or cat, or some other animal at home. You will go and give a lot of money to give them medicine and this and that. But what are you bringing? Which animals did you kill? They slaughtered them. Have you not the same love for the other one? That is why the mentality has changed. So what you eat? Though you are very good and humble and kind and this, but you kill and eat and drink more alcohol, and then you are... I do not want to tell more because there are more people, more people, they, and little are me. So maybe they will attack me very much. Already, I have many attacking, but no problem. No problem. So Annamaya Kośa. O yogī, O humans, be sāttvic, pure, humble, kind. Annamaya Kośa. Then comes Prāṇamaya Kośa. But prāṇa means the energy, but this energy is from the Annamaya Kośa. And so your energy becomes also, how is your food? So, Annamaya Kośa. The second is that in our whole body, our energy. And how is that energy? How will it be? There are many, many principles, and we will look at this crocodile here. Anger, hate, jealousy, etc., are in this chakra. This is one step you come up, and there it is, a cause. There is something very, very,... very hard to come through. If you try to control one tiger, the lion comes. You try to come out from the lion, the hyena, hyena, here it comes. You go there, the red bellies come. You know what a red belly is? Big, like a cobra snake. They are mostly in Australia. Yeah, red belly, completely looks like red, or cobra, or any, or how do you call the python, very big. Mostly they are eating earth, they eat earth, but sometimes they eat others. And when they are hungry, they know God. It is like this. Well, that is animal, but we are different animals. So, Prāṇamaya Kośa, our energy, what comes to our brain to think, how we will be angry, etc., etc. So, Annamaya Kośa, Prāṇamaya Kośa, then comes the Manomaya Kośa. Man means mind. So, it is said before, what you will eat, like will be your mind. Your energy, your nourishment, your food, then your energy, and then mentality, the mind. Annamaya Kośa, Prāṇamaya Kośa, Manomaya Kośa. And after that comes Vijñānamaya Kośa. Vijñāna means your knowledge. Now, your knowledge is going, which way? How many cows will I need? Okay? I want to have 1.8 million cows this year. Make it, and slaughtering. That is your vijñāna now. This is your science now. How to kill, how to breed them, this and that, everything. This is also science. And, of course, other good science is also a very, very good thing. But there are, because the mind went that side. You have a good smell in your house, but you open your window and your neighbor will also get a good smell. But if there is something bad and you open the door, they will also smell. So, how is dividing and going? Now it has become, amazingly, what you cannot. My Gurujī came first time to Europe, and the flight took off, and people began to give alcohol and meat. And he said, "I thought the aeroplane is so high up, it is like heaven." And here is only the, he said it is a hell, such a smell and this and that. He said, "Do not bring me, please, again back to Europe." So I said, "We brought two, three people together. We were sitting near." But it is a whole airplane. It is spanning. But my Gurujī, Mahāprabhujī, has given me something: duty. And that I can do. And what did he do? I cannot smell anything, anything. I can only smell the, what do you call this? Or this from this tree, eucalyptus. Otherwise, yes, they are eating. We do not eat. That is it. We are separate. So, you know, everywhere you cannot get that good mushroom. But sometimes, good mushroom. Okay? So, that is Vijñāna. You see how, and I do not want to humiliate or tell you, please, maybe your new habit is different, but so how one after the other going: Annamaya Kośa, the food; Prāṇamaya Kośa, the energy. What kind of energy you have? Drink one glass orange juice or drink one glass apple juice, etc., or one glass of milk, or one glass of yogurt water. It is very good. That is okay. Or you drink one glass of vodka or alcohol. So how is this energy now? You drink water or juice, you drive, no problem. But when you drink more, then sometimes what are you doing? So one man who was drunk, and he was just married. So he had one nice Harley, it was a very... and so his wife is sitting beside, and he is sitting like this. He drank one glass, one bottle, two bottles, three, yes, alcohol. And there was coming from opposite... Very big truck they have, you know, in America, big truck. Oh, that is nothing. In Australia, there are three trawlers, and so strong and running height, they all mustered their chancha. The cows slaughtered, slaughtered meat, and so on. And so forth, so they cannot stop suddenly. I experienced this, I saw it, only at night they are driving. So he was coming, and the newly married couple, and he was drinking, and the truck was coming. And he said to his wife, "Darling, should I go left or right?" No, I will go in the middle. I am not going left and right. They should go left and right. She said, "As you like, darling." And there was the light of the truck, you know. And he said, "I will go through the middle." You know what happened? So that prāṇa or other prāṇa. So many times, how many accidents are happening? And especially on Friday, and then on Saturday, anyhow. So prāṇa, Annamaya Kośa, Prāṇamaya Kośa. When the prāṇa is going like this, then Vijñānamaya Kośa, our mental knowledge, is like this. So Vijñānamaya Kośa, and then is coming Ānandamaya Kośa. Now, Ānandamaya Kośa, there are different things. First is ānand, the blessing, happiness. You come over nicely. Or, this is again desires. So, Master said, "Remain on the path, go this way." But saṃsāra said, "No, ānandamaya kośa, I will enjoy something." What will you enjoy? You will fall into that path. You will not come again back on this path. So first, it is said in the Svādhiṣṭhāna Cakra, read properly. Annamaya Kośa: physical body. Prāṇamaya Kośa: the energy, the strength. Manomaya Kośa: the mental. Sometimes you talk opposite. You tell something right, and you say, "No, what is this?" And it is it. If not like this, then why not? So, there is one story. Should I say this story? You like history, no? So, one master. One master in a little village. And the master has his sādhanā. He got a higher consciousness. And he had one disciple. So the master thought, "I should send my disciple somewhere in Kashi, Banaras." That is Sanskrit and high knowledge, high knowledge. So he became a professor and got everything, what you call the diploma. A very young boy, about the age of 25 or 27 years. Now he came back. Gurujī is already old, nice white beard. You know, it is not easy, my dears, to get white hair. It takes a long, long time. You go through how many circumstances you go. Then the first white hair comes. You say, "Worship." He said, "God, thank you. Master, when will I get the second?" God said, "It will come." When you are mature, great, you are on the good way. It will get now. And nowadays, when we have white or gray hair, we color it. And that is, God does not accept this. God does not say, "Anyhow." So a disciple came. The master was so happy that my disciple studies Vedas, this, that, everything. And village people came, and the master said, "Look, my disciple came." And everybody was giving this boy thanks, and this and that, and good, and congratulations. So the master and disciple were passing by one street. And there is one man who is taking the oil out of the seeds. So, it has to be squeezing, you know, but with the wooden, big wooden mallet. And one animal, the bull, has to walk. But when this bull, or whatever you call this, is walking, walking, only one side will fall down, will become dizzy. So training is also not easy for this, but what then happens? They block, they give the eyes like this. So now he can walk, and he does not feel that he is going round and round because his eyes, that makes him dizzy. Okay? So he had to go round and round and... round like this. Master came. Master came and he said, "Disciple, Gurujī, why is this bull going round and round?" He said he is working to bring the, how do you call, squeeze the seeds to get the oil. Then, Gurujī, why does this bull have the veil on his throat? Why? He said, because the master went there to eat. He went to eat. Why? What does it mean that the master is eating there and he is making the veil? He said, "You know, my son, his eyes are closed." Aha. But why should the bell be ringing all the time? He said, "My son, the master went for eating, and he does not want that bull to stop." So when the bell is ringing, he is going. That bull does not know whether the master is here or not. So, second, if he stopped the bull, then the master will say, "Come," and again give one stick. So, argument between master and disciple is not good. Result will come wrong, but I have learned it. Then, master, if the bull stops, and while staying there, he will just move his head like this. He will move his head, and the clock will ring, so the owner will think the bull is walking, but he is not walking; he is just moving his head. The master said to the disciple, "You know, my disciple..." You learn in Kashi, but he did not go to learn in Kashi. If he stops, he will get sticks on his buttocks. So your knowledge will not work here with the bull. Your knowledge is only like this, my son. Let us go. So disciples should never argue with the master or teacher. If you argue, you will fail. If you are talking in the university, there are 35 teachers or 25 students, 25 students in one room, and there is one student talking all the time, and a professor like this, and professor, "Why knit not like that?" and professor, "Why today is this color on your dress?" and the master said, "I am." Not for you only, there are twenty-five other students also. He said, but yes, okay, that is all right, but I want to ask a question, and you must answer me, professor. He said, now go home, and your father will give you the answer, not me. So when you in the spiritualities master the knowledge, the real way, do not argue, or if you argue, you will be pulled outside. Hari Om Tarsam. Then it is said, na gharaka, na ghatka. There is a donkey who is going to bring laundry to wash in the river. His master takes the donkey there, puts this dress, a clean dress, he loads on the donkey and comes at home. It loads out, takes other day and night. It means that donkey has no rest, and neither at the river, neither at a girl, at the house. It is all the time going left and right, left and right. Therefore, no argument; argument has no result, no result. All the times, one by one, then he is going round and round and... Round, like this blind person who wants to go out, and his hand is on the wall, in this going, walking, walking, and when the door comes, he begins to, how do you call it, scratch his hair. And one stick is in the hand. But walking, the door is behind. Going and going, and again comes itching under the armpit. After 10-20 minutes, the blind man said, "My God, how big is this hall?" One man was standing and all the time observing. He said, "Hall is very little, but when the right time comes, you have itching somewhere." And so, when you argue, then you will not be successful; you are lost, and we do not know where it is. So therefore, let that knowledge guide you and follow it. If you argue, it is because you are not proper in your vṛttis. So this is Annamaya Kośa, Prāṇamaya Kośa, Manomaya Kośa, Vijñānamaya Kośa, and Ānandamaya Kośa. So, ānanda means either your desires are enjoyed and finished. Or you come to the supreme happiness, the joy that you achieve, and that is the aim of the human. If, oh man, if you miss this, again you will come the other way, because the soul is the same, but the qualities are taking you that way. So this is a mantra, not a mantra, this is the Svādhiṣṭhāna Cakra, and the Svādhiṣṭhāna Cakra is here, beautiful, very nice crocodile here, my God, you know. Oh, you have some bones. And you know, one day this crocodile will kill you. In Australia, from Sydney to Sunshine Coast, on the way there was a lake, and there was one man who was fighting with the crocodiles. He was, oh, everything. He is jumping on the crocodile, getting him. All people were coming to see his game with the crocodile. But one day, now you should tell me, please, what happened? You know that? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. So that crocodile killed him. So argument is your crocodile, and sooner or later it is gone. Therefore, listen. Listen, listen, listen to my heart. Listen, listen, listen to my heart. I will never forget you. I will never forget you. I will never forget you. I will never forsake you. Listen, listen, listen to my heart. Listen, listen, listen to my Master Lord. Listen, listen, listen to the Master, and it will come, all of you. So, evening again. My God, I did not think that. This, this, the Svādhiṣṭhāna chakra is so strong. All our best qualities come with us: passion, all desires, anger, hate, jealousy, greed, passion, etc., etc. And that has no end. It will come more, it will come more, it will come more. And he, the crocodile, said, "I will not let you come." But, luckily, luckily, Brahmā and Sarasvatī are coming. So, thanks to God, Saraswati has knowledge. Saraswati means wisdom. And she is pulling us all, bhaktas and the crocodiles. I gave you the nice story. There was a big, big ferry going from Wellington, Oakland to America. And there were two, like a swimming pool. 10 or 20 crocodiles were in this one, and 10 or 20 other crocodiles. And one crocodile was an iron net, screwed, and one was nothing. People were also with this, and they asked the person who was taking care of them, "Why, in this pool, there are so many crocodiles, but there is no net on it? And here, they have a net. What is the difference?" He said, "This is..." An Australian crocodile with a net, and this is an Indian crocodile. There is no net. So why does the Indian crocodile have no net? They do not bite? Or Australian? No, no. Indian crocodiles are more aggressive. They can eat you completely. Then why do not they have a net? He said, "Yes, they have one speciality." That speciality, they have one quality more, which Australians do not have. She said, "What is the good, Indians?" When one crocodile goes up, the other one will pull him down. It will not let you go through anyone. All your disciples will remain here because of the one person. Pull everyone up, yes. So there are people who do not let you come high up. Therefore, listen, listen... to my heart. Listen, listen... To my, "I will never forget you. I will never forsake you. I will never forsake you, my master. Oh, my master, I will never forgive you? Forgive? Forsake you and forgive you." Hari Om. Evening, afternoon, we will again come to this subject of this Svādhiṣṭhāna, exactly on the... my watch is. Also, very exact, I tell this, my watch. Why do not you remain for a while? He said, "No, no, okay." Because if you make a sober vow, I will vow. Then he said, "Goodbye, so my crocodile." And he said, "What is the next one?" Oh, yes. My pride. I go for a while, crocodile, and then in the wild, what is that one? Elephant, yeah, and that is here, that is here. Okay, thank you. Hari Om. Deep Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān kī jaya. Mādhav Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān kī jaya. Sat Deśanā Tāṇḍa Dharma kī jaya. Om Asatoma Sadgamaya. Tamasomā jyotirgamaya, mṛtyormā amṛtam. Sarveśām svasti bhavatu, sarveśām śāntir bhavatu, sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu, mā kaścid duḥkhabhāg bhavet.

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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