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Nature of our Atma

A spiritual discourse exploring the nature of mental habits (vṛtti) and the soul's (ātmā) oneness with the divine.

"Vṛtti is what you are doing. You have good food to eat. But after eating this and that, you go outside to eat some ice cream... So that is a vṛtti."

"Below is the ocean, Shiva, and this one drop is Jīva... Now, if this drop falls into the ocean, then this Jīva becomes Shiva."

Swami Vishwaguruji addresses a gathering, weaving together teachings on discipline, the nature of the mind, and the ultimate unity of the self. He uses anecdotes, like the reputation of his disciples and a story about a dinner party, to illustrate vṛtti. He then explains the soul's journey using the metaphor of a water droplet returning to the ocean (Śiva), discusses the concept of Svayambhū (self-manifested divinity), and concludes with prayers and mantras emphasizing meditation and inner purity.

Filming location: Vép, Hungary

Sometimes there is some vṛtti, and everyone says we have a good vṛtti. But what is a vṛtti? I think I said this morning. Yes. First was Atharva Yoga, no? So we are very disciplined. I can tell you one thing only: it is not a joke. It is said—not only am I telling, but many people are telling. At the Kumbh Mela, all the many sādhus, in some conference where there are different people from other parts of the world, they tell me. Either they make a joke or, just how to say, saying politely, but others... All cannot be like this. They said, "Vishwagurujī, your disciples are very disciplined, very disciplined, very humble, everything." So it is not a joke, they said. Yes, yoga and their life. Bhaktas, or the practitioners, they are very disciplined. I said, "Yes, come and see us when the ice cream is there. How is the discipline?" So people, they really, really are telling good things about us. Even in Indian airports, when they see this in yellow dress, then they say, "Oh, it’s from the Vishwagurujī’s bhaktas." Yeah, many, many. And also, really, our bhaktas, our practitioners, all these Europeans, Indians, I cannot tell you anything. Also, there they have a good reputation. No one is going to be selling there somewhere and sitting in a restaurant and drinking Coca-Cola and this and that. And they have good news: they don’t sell things, they don’t sit in restaurants drinking Coca-Cola, except one, Giannis Purī. Giannis Purī. Yes. I know. That’s why I’m telling. Because Gyaneshwar Purī is listening now. Yes. When I have a few days in Jaipur ashram, Gyaneshwar Purī is very nervous because he represents all Europeans. So they are all very good. Gyāneśwar Purī is really very, very nice. So it is okay. So, vṛtti. The whole thing is what I am telling you about vṛtti. And vṛttis have two ways. One is the discipline by parents, teachers, and friends. So first are the parents, and parents can only teach what they know. So this is a big problem now. And second is by nature. It has this vṛtti, very nice. So vṛtti is what you are doing. You have good food to eat. But after eating this and that, you go outside to eat some ice cream or eat something in a restaurant. So it means that you were not content to eat the food that your wife or mother was cooking for you. So that is a vṛtti. And in the vṛtti, someone is doing it purposely, and someone does not know how to do it or why. A long, long time. Long ago, within these 40 years, so Krishna’s wife, you know, so, yeah, so Krishna’s wife, she gave one joke, a Hungarian joke. So now there is a vṛtti. That vṛtti is not your mistake. So there is one company, and in this company there are about 150 employees. And as a tradition, once a year they give one party for Christmas. And, of course, for Christmas Day, everyone would like to stay at home. So from the first of December, people already begin to give parties for friends and this and that. It’s okay. And on that day, the owner of the company is a very nice person. And he said, "Please come with your partner." Good. So that one man and his wife were invited. And she was very happy. Of course, everyone will take a good dress, and this and that. And there were big tables, and everywhere people were sitting. So one couple, and then a second couple, and this side couple, that is all. And they served a very nice dinner. Very nice. And around 10 o’clock, then it was goodbye. People were all very happy, very nice, eating and so on. And this couple, they had three children at home, and grandparents. So children were waiting. They were very curious. Parents asked, "How was the food?" So the parents and grandparents were sitting. The children were sitting. And said, "Mother, mother, how was the eating? How was the food?" He said, "Yes, the food was all enjoyed." And how did you taste it? How was your mother? He said it was horrible. Why? Because beside me was sitting one man. And this one man, when he wanted to look at his plate, his looking is like that, eyes. So, always it goes to the other plate. His plate remained empty, full. I begin to eat, and he comes to eating. So this was a joke of Amṛtānanda, of Krishna’s wife long ago. And if not, you can ask her, and where she told, I know that. Anyhow. So, there are always people, happiness, everything, good things. So, the vṛttis and also our humbleness and our good wishes for all. So, chitta vṛtti nirodha. Through this, we can proceed further. You have read the Patañjali Yoga book. You have our yoga book, and very soon our dear Rādhājī from Vienna will bring from my lectures the beautiful book also. So what is the vṛtti? So the vṛtti is very important. So similarly, you know, we have to complete about the ātmā oneness. I told already that there is only one. There is no two. And that is why Gurujī said, "One in all and all in one." We are like an ocean. All one in ocean, and when the steam or the para, whatever you say, the steam goes up from the ocean, separate it. But this fog which we see, it is very fine, the little, little like stones. And this is only, they are round. And when it goes higher, we call it the cloud. And this cloud is just like a gas, very light, very light. And we all know that an aeroplane is going through, and there is no problem. But there are also tiny, tiny drops. And then again, it comes together according to the environment. The clouds come down and become beautiful. Fine, fine drops become big drops. And sometimes big hails like this. When that happens, then the aeroplane is also a little bit damaged, and we too. So don’t think, "Oh, I will now wash my hand." Drop by drop. So one saint, one monk said, "Stone by stone." And day by day, I will build it, my temple. The name "church" came very, very late. It was an unnamed temple, but the church, maybe it is another language. It doesn’t matter. The main thing is the church should be. People are made with so much love and devotion. With humbleness, devotion to Jesus and Mary. And now we are not even capable of taking care of the church. So the day will come. One day everything will change. It is a pity, but they cannot take care of the church, and they are selling it. In England itself, how many churches are there for sale? And in the winter, it’s so cold, so no one can have heating or anything. I think our men should do at least temples, mosques, and churches, etc. At least this should provide water and electricity and heating, you know? At least we could do for Jesus, at least that much. So Jesus is already going into a very high divine consciousness. And someone else is preparing. And that will be in that way that there will be no necessity to heat anything. So, in this way, we are all coming today. So the one drop becomes a very big drop, and these big drops are falling on the earth, and drip by drip it becomes flowing water, and this little water becomes a little creek. And into the ocean, with the big rivers and so. And again, in the ocean. It was from the ocean. Traveled through the high speed. There is a... Till ten thousand... Eleven thousand... Meters... The clouds are up. I have this machine telephone, so all the way I’m talking, how high I am now? But then there’s only blue sky. But what I want to tell is this: it is stone by stone and day by day. So drop by drop, drip by drip, this water will come again into the ocean. Sometimes rain falls directly into the ocean, or in the Sahara, or in the forest, who knows? And rain falls where it will. And so, when it’s raining here, then it doesn’t make any difference. This water will be for this tree, for the grass, for the dirty canalization, everything. Because the rain does not make differences. It is equal for all. But when this karma is there, where, what will happen? But sooner or later, one day it will come to that ocean. Similarly, there are 8.4 million different creatures. Now, somebody says, "In this generation, there are more different creatures." But many died; there are not any more existing, so replacing always. So it means that everyone has the essence of God. Divine, whatever. That God, what we call, they are also drip by drip. So there are two kinds of God for me. These holy saints, or we call incarnations, but it’s still in the form. Now, the Kālī Avatār, I’m waiting. Will he just appear, or will he be from the mother? Jesus was also from the mother. All, Kṛṣṇa, Rāma, etc., all. Only one is a Svayambhū. So he has no mother and no father. So sometimes people make a joke and ask you a question, and if you can answer this, then I can tell, yes, you are a yogī. Someone tells this and that, and then asks me also one question. So I said, "Of course, it is not so cheap. It needs a lot of money." Then I will tell you the bird or egg, that it means you don’t want to tell, or you don’t know. I said I have, and that I will not tell you. Because it becomes very cheap, but to you I will tell you. So, yes. What was first, the bird or the egg, or other creature? And that is only one: Svayambhū Śiva, neither mother nor father. Only he himself manifested himself in this whole world. So, it was the Svayambhū, and then eggs produced. So first, first is Śiva, and so you are also Svayambhu. Yes, you are all Svayambhu. When you will get your son or daughter, if you didn’t come from the sky, but it is from your mother or father. But that beginning is from Svayambhū. So you can say, "Yes, who was the first? Who was it?" Shiva. So, similarly, that Śiva, that’s vṛtti, that is from the Śiva itself. So, big ocean, you know, we know the ocean is around our earth. And my father used to say, "This is a lid on the cooking pot, and the pot is big, water inside boiling, and this is one lid, and in the middle of this lid is one holding, one angle, or what is that?" So, and this whole covered lid is the ocean, and this little button there, that is the earth. So, we are very little, and the ocean is very much. Hold your hands above the ocean, and from your water, give one drop on your palm. Here, down is the water that is Śiva, and this one drop is Jīva. Jīva means soul. Our soul, our life, Jīva. So below is the ocean, Shiva, and this is Jīva. Now, if this drop falls into the ocean, then this Jīva becomes Shiva. We are like Shiva. Now, in this language, Shiva is in Sanskrit or the Hindi language, but many other countries have different names. Names are different, but reality is one. In our village or in a city, how many people? Everyone has names, this and that, but in reality, you are one of this country, of this village. And that is why duality is there, where we are still separate, but everything in a body is the same. And always, everywhere, in all countries, people say the color of the blood is everywhere the same. And so we have to come, and therefore we know. We are a very tiny, tiny drop of the fog. Or heavy rain, or the hail. Or the whole river flowing into the ocean. So, there is also in Mahāprabhujī’s book, it is said, and he said that the whole forest is burning, and there is one little mastī. This little mastī, all the whole fire is burning there, it is the same. It is not a quantity. But quality, and that’s why the Agni Dev, Agni, and this Agni, there is a fire burning in the ocean, in the forest, but sometimes in the ocean fire is burning. It’s stupid, but it is because in a very big tanker. The petrol came out, and now this is on the surface, and fire is burning. We said, "Oh, in the water, fire is burning." So, one day, you don’t know where you will be—on the fire. And now you also have fire in your body. And you have so many different qualities of the fire in your body. Many, many, many. This is the fire, and that’s why the fire tattva. So it doesn’t matter if it’s a little fire or a big fire. It is the fire, jāṭharāgni. That is when you are hungry. Something is burning in the stomach. That is called jaṭharāgni. Hunger. And when is it really? Sometimes a little child, when he’s hungry, the stomach is fire inside. Cries, cries till mommy gives the milk. So the mother will give the milk, and the child will not cry because he will get the liquid quickly. So many, many different kinds of fire we have in our body. In our brain, in our thoughts, many, many things. Other animals also, and this tree also has. So this fire element is everywhere. Similarly, water, etc. So we are all one, and that is what we said: Śrī Guru Ātmā, Paramātmā, Mahātmā, Prasottam, Sakal Jagake Antarjāmī, Charācharī Ke Ātmā, which I told already many times: Naba Rūpa Vyāpo Satyāpo, Naba Sky, Naba Rūpa. Now what is the Rūpa? The form. Now, which form? The real form is only the sky above the clouds. Only the sky, nothing else. So, nābarūpa. So, what is your form? Beauty, what is your form? You are that equal to the endless universe, and that is the truth. And you are the truth. The truth we are searching for is within us. But with this, there is what Patañjali said: "Citta vṛtti nirodhaḥ." This is, we shall understand within ourselves. Sapti aapho. So, you are your ātmā within thyself. That is the truth. What are you searching? Moku kahatu dhundi bandi meto tere pasme. A Sufi bhajan is there. Mokhu kaha tu bundi bandi? Where are you searching for me? Hol keresel, vagy? Kedvesem. Mokhu kaha tu bundi bandi? Mertu mere pasme. I am within. Belül vagyok. I am in the forest. Az erdőben vagyok. But it is in my heart. It is in my heart. Mokhu kaha tu bundi? If you really will search me, within a second, within myself, my Ātmā, and that is the one. So, all the truth is in those great saints, what they gave, such poems, and in written books is not enough. You can change many things in your book. Now, in my book, when it’s finished, then you will print again new, and you will write many things inside. But in the Bhagavad Gītā, no one can change. You cannot change. And if you change, it is wrong. That is it. So that truth, ātmā, is within ourselves. Vimala cetan ātmā, and so this vimala cetan, it is beauty, and cetan, the awakened, and that is ātmā. Dhyāna, āgam, jāge. Dhyāna, not "dhuna." Again, you make mistake. You should, in that way, you should pronounce that language. Yeah, dhyāna. Dhuna means your concentration, your meditation. You are, and it is, your complete one is there. Dhuna. You don’t see anything. You are completely in oneness. Dhuna is a fireplace. A dhuni is also a fireplace. But a dhūnā is different. Dhuna and dhyāna. Now in this dhuna, your dhyāna is there. Meditation is there. Then jñāna age āgam jāge, and then you will awake there. And so that is called that ādi anādi. Ādi is endless and endless. Ādi and anādi, and that is in one. Ādi and anādi, and there is all creation, everything. In this part we can search. Vimal chetan ātmā. Vimal māl means impurity, and vimal is purity. Vimal is very pure, very clean. So our ātmā is very pure. It doesn’t matter who you are here. It doesn’t matter what behavior you have. But that ātmā is very pure. And your ātmā is... We can give a little example. It’s not a hundred percent. Now, on the highway, or any road. And it’s night, and you have light from your car. Now, there is one, some kind of chemical, so it’s reflecting. It looks like something, a jewel, and if you put the light off, there’s nothing there. So there is a light to light, and similarly, that is our ātmā. It is like that as long as our jīva is in our heart. The Jeeva and Jeeva Ātmā, both will go away. Then only the body remains here. Then it doesn’t matter what they will do. That’s it. So we are one. God is with us. God sees everything, what you are doing. It doesn’t matter if you are sleeping, or running, or diving anywhere. God knows everything. And now, someone said today that in this telephone you can talk, but the big brothers... Are you looking at what you are talking? So that is Ātmā and Jīvātmā. God sees everything: purity, purity, and impurity. So our ātmā is pure, vimala cetanā. Chetan means ever and ever awakened. It doesn’t matter if the body is sleeping. The body is drunken, but the ātmā is always there. And that we cannot, jise na śastra kāṭe, na agni jalāve, bujhāve na pāni, na mṛtyu umṭāve. All these five elements cannot destroy this jīvātmā. Mindez az öt elem nem tudja szétrombolni ezt a jīvātmát. And so what you will say? And we write that, "Jise śastra kāṭe, na agni..." We were singing today. They wrote for me something. But I have forgotten. When they forget, then I forget also. Chetan ātmā. Always we are coming to the ātmā. Mindig az Ātmāhoz jutunk. Parse praṇām age pravaṇam parse praṇām age pratiṭho adhyātma soul beyond everything, and that it is evidence. Wherever you will go, there is evidence. Wherever we will go, everywhere you will have the reflection of the ātmā in everyone. Niraḍhārho āḍhārho. Niradhār ādhār, niradhār ādhār, and niradhār, we are not based on anything. Mi nem vagyunk semmin alapulva. That ātmā is not based on anything, nem alapozódik semmire. It is only for sometimes here in the body, niradhārho ādhārho. And that ādhāra is from the supreme, highest ātmā. Ādhāraḥ, āśrayaḥ, avicala ātmā. And like that is the ātmā. What is that ātmā? Aviccala ātmā, avichala chal, and avichal chal is avichal. Chal means movable, avichal is unmovable. Avichal, and that is avichal. Avichal means unmovable ātmā, alak deva, ajib seva, and therefore it is. It is said Alak Deva, Alak Purījī, coming in the Gurujī’s, Mahāprabhujī’s many, many times, coming with the Alak Purījī. Alak Deva, that is the God, that is Alak Purījī. Alak Deva Ajab Seva. Ajab means very indescribable. We can’t describe. That is Alak Purījī. Alak Sevā, Ajab Sevā, Brahma Bheva Ātmā. Because Alak Purījī is Brahma-Bhāva-Ātmā. He is one with Brahman, the Brahmā, Bhiva, Ātmā. So he is one with that Brahman. Shun means that there is no sound, there is nothing. Shun. No sound. Then comes the other sound, and so when we go far and far and far, then our earth, there is no sound we can hear from anything. Then comes the second level. Then it goes very far as Om. Oṁ karvindu sayuktaṁ nityadhyāyanti yoginaḥ kaṁ dhaṁ mokṣaṁ caiva oṁ kārayinām oṁ namaḥ. After that is Om. And after that, because that becomes trinity. But after this, again, the Aum still will go further. And that’s why it’s called Aum Śiva. Aum Śiva. That time, that Aum merges and comes as Śiva. And so this is Alagpurījī’s glory: Brahmā, Śiva, Ātmā, sannyāsī ho par prabhu, and therefore prabhu sannyāsī ho par prabhu. So what we call śūnyatā, nothing beyond that śūnyatā is that Śiva, that Ātmā. Those great saints or devas, devīs, they are Alagpurījīs. Sākṣī śuddha ātmā, and that is evidence. A very pure is that ātmā. Then all our sin and first suffering, everything is behind. We take one fruit and we squish it, and juice comes out. The rest remains out. Similarly, all our mistakes, our sins, this, this, all will be there. Like in a dark, dark night, suddenly the sun comes out, and then pure light and sun only. Similarly, we all are like that, but it is time to come and go on this path, Śrī Yaśopār Prabhu, Śrī Śrī Sudharma. Dhārā, dhyāna, śoham. Muṇḍī Mohan, to achieve this dhārā, dhyāna, meditate always, concentrate always. Śoham mantra. Finally, you have to come: śoham. So means "he," ham means "I." Śoham, śoham... It turns back: Soham, Soham,... So. Often, I said, we should make mauna. We can do the mauna. You can have a maximum of five seconds. Then vṛtti is going completely somewhere else. So it’s not easy to go to the munī. Munī means one who can come to oneness. It’s not easy. So we said, I said once to Gurujī, if I cannot be so silent, then at least you should know, Gurujī, that I’m always thinking of you. So this is also, for me, silent. Sukha Rūpa says, "And that one is a very happy, pleasant," Śukha, always life is a very pleasant life. Because śukha, there is no word in these languages. And what is in these languages is not in this language, so Bhavsukh se tari ātmā, Gurudeep ho, ātmā, sukha rūpa se sehjo dharātmā, Gurudeep ho, praṇām saiyar, and therefore say, O Gurudev, Mahāprabhujī, You are the sāgar, and sāgar is like the ocean. But something more than that, you dig a water well and there is only a little water, but we take water constantly. We are pumping out, but water is coming there under. That’s truth, and that is sīre, that is it, yes. So Mahāprabhujī is that one. Mahāprabhujī, you are that Paramātmā. You are that Paramātmā. This is prayer, request, and giving this oneness. Suratakār dhyān dharṣī, and to those who will surat. Any concentration, dhyāna dhāraṇī. That you will meditate. All vṛtti is different. You will get everything. Come. Gurudeva said, "Just come. If you become angry or something and you go away, and I don’t feel, ’I didn’t get anything from Gurujī,’" What do you want from Gurujī? You should give something to Gurujī. But what you need, it is not in that way. It is more and more. Gurujī will give purification, and he knows that you are the best, and everything will come to you. Suratakar Guru dhyanat dharasi. Therefore, meditate on Gurudev. Bhava Dukha Se Tari Atma. Then, of course, Bhava Dukha. Bhava is the saṃsāra, this world. So, Bhava Dukha Se Tari Atma. Dukha means, again, the troubles. Dukha means again the troubles. You will swim over the ocean. Sivananda bole aarti, and therefore the Sivanandji of Mahāprabhujī is disciple from Chotikatu, and Gurudev nirguṇ mahātma, and he said Gurudev is a nirguṇa, not a saguṇa. Shri Guru Ātmā Param Homa Ātmā Puruṣātmā Sakal Jagke Antra Jami Chara Charki Ma Prabhu Chara Raki Ātmā Shri Dīpna and Bhagavān, Shri Vananji Mahārāj kī Alakpurī jī Mahādeva, Devādhi Deva, Deveśvara Mahādeva kī.

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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