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A fortunate one, that this year, for one month, we will be here. Of course, many of you will not be here; many others will come due to the accommodation available. As usual, we have beautiful trainings, many lectures on different subjects of Yoga, and many different kinds of techniques, guided by very expert teachers. And we will have a lot of walks, every day, a two-hour walk. This is, again this year, exclusive. The subject will mostly be Patañjali’s Yogasūtra this year. There will be a translation of the Patañjali Yogasūtra. As you know, yoga is very ancient. Yoga is that universal energy, that universal principle which unites space and consciousness. Yoga is that energy which awakens the cosmic consciousness into activity, meaning creation. The creation took place through the eternal sound Oṁ. And that Aum represents all the trinity: Śiva, Viṣṇu, and Brahmā. In due time, many incarnations were on this planet. There were millions of great sages, self-realized divine souls. At that time, in Satyuga, they had a life of thousands of years. They received the message of this divine principle, yoga. Each individual has different feelings, different mentality, different vṛttis or thoughts. Different experiences according to the climate, the surroundings, the environment, the weather situations, and social situations. So all those divine incarnations also achieved the great sense. That ultimate goal means to become one with the source of our existence, from where we came. It means this individual consciousness becomes one with the cosmic consciousness. That is the origin of the consciousness which is involved in the individual. It doesn’t matter, human or animal. Consciously or unconsciously, the destination or the purpose of life for every creature is to proceed towards the origin. ko’haṁ katham idaṁ jātaṁ ko vā kartasya vidyate? Who am I? From where did I come? What is the purpose of my coming? And where will I go? The destination is one. The truth is one. God is one. But the different techniques, different paths, according to the different intellect, different techniques were created by different masters. But finally, all these lead to one truth. As God Kṛṣṇa said, it doesn’t matter through which religion, which belief, which path you go. Finally, at the end, I will be there—meaning you will come to me. Krishna means God, the God who many times manifested on this globe and mostly in India. That’s why India is one of the holiest lands on this earth. Holy land is India because incarnations took place there. This way of life, teachings, techniques, achievements, management, health—physical, mental, social, spiritual, and so on—is achieved by yoga. So, different yogīs or masters or sages or ṛṣis, the hermetists, they developed the techniques under the name called yoga. All different knowledges, the vidyās, mantras, yantras, tantras, cakras, knowledge, philosophy, wisdom, science, whatever you call it, is originated from one, that is the Aum, and that is yoga. In due time, about 2,500 years before what you call the Christ, a great saint, Patañjali, lived. And he put together nicely some thoughts and instructions of yoga. Yoga Sūtras means the spoken versions, like poetries in Sanskrit. If you call someone the father of psychology, then it was Patañjali. Before Patañjali, there were also many great saints who discovered what we call... What is a body, the function of the body, the organs, everything. Whichever medicine is discovered is still being researched. It was the yogīs who found out what is the mind, the emotion, the memory, the intellect. And then, beyond this, the consciousness, the soul, the individual soul. Differences between soul and ātmā, and the relation of this all to the Paramātmā, to the Supreme. It was the work of the great saints of India. These ṛṣis were able to follow the path of a soul, others, or himself. What happens after the death of this body, or departure from this body? What happens to this soul? What happens to this consciousness, the emotion, the intellect, the memories, the mind, the feelings? Only the body dies; the rest all remains. What you can touch, what you can smell, what you can see with these physical eyes, that will finish here. But which you cannot touch, which you cannot see with these eyes, which you cannot smell with this nose—the senses cannot reach those fine, very subtle functions of our being. That was discovered by yogīs. Yes, when you go out of this body, so what will happen to you, the soul? How many days will you be traveling, hanging around with family? How many days will it take to get detached from this world? How long will one have to stay, wait, enjoy, or suffer in the astral world? Where will you go? And there they discovered something beautiful called destiny, what we call karma. It was those yogīs who followed from the cause, cause to action, to the result. Not only this physical work, but those subtle functions which are happening through one individual being in this physical body. Doesn’t matter, human or animal. Destiny. And this all is taken away with the storm, the wind of destiny, throughout the universe. Fluttering on the waves of the times to the darkness, light, happiness or unhappiness, pain or pleasure. Experiencing this individual alone, no one is there. No lawyer is there, no court is there. Only the cosmic court. Finally, Gurū Mukhi Gurudev is the lawyer. That is the supreme, the cosmic justice who can give the judgment to liberate you from this destiny. No one else. If you believe or not, that is your choice. So, how is destiny influencing? How is karma creating this? And that is what we call the cycle of birth and death, constantly. But yoga is the way to come out of this. If you have a Brahmaniṣṭha Śrotriya, the knower of the Supreme, who can inspire and guide you towards that ultimate. Otherwise, be ready to suffer further, like other creatures are suffering. So the path of the soul through this endless universe is a very mysterious life. Enough, enough from the sufferings. Thanks to God, or thanks to our destiny, the soul found a shelter in this human body. This is your real house, this is your real temple, this is something belonging to you for the time being. Everyone will disappoint you and can disappoint you, but it doesn’t matter how; this body will remain with you till the last minute of life. And the body is asking you, "Be kind to me, be nice to me." Sometimes one of the partners is very cruel. Other partners always tell, "Please be kind to me, please be nice to me." But it’s so cruel: drinking, angry, aggressive, beating, and what not. Similarly, this body is your partner. How you treat your partner, that will come back to you also. So let us see in this one month’s time what Patañjali is giving us for instructions. There will be many other beautiful thoughts which will be read from the great saints, and I am happy to be with you for one month. In this beautiful surrounding area, the nature, blessed nature, pollution-free spot, Mahāprabhujī Deep Satsaṅg Foundation Ashram in Strelka, Czech Republic. All dear brothers and sisters who are listening through the webcast, you are most welcome to come to attend this retreat or seminar for one week, one weekend, or a whole month. Experience something unique, and so we will also have a beautiful walk through the untouched nature, very fresh, beautiful hills, a very gentle walk. Oh, prāṇāyāma, prāṇa, Patañjali. Even if you pay $5,000 per month for an apartment in the heart of a big city, you cannot get this kind of prāṇa which you will get here. This prāṇa will help you, support you throughout the whole year. Yes, all participants, you are sitting here. You should know why you came here. Don’t forget, you didn’t come here to find a partner. If you want to find a husband or wife, then please go back to some nightclubs. Or you want to make jokes and this and that? No. You took time, you spent your money, you spent your beautiful holidays. Why did you come here? Be sure, if you are not disciplined immediately, you have to leave the ashram. You have to attend every program. You have to come on the right time for eating. You have to eat only in the eating area. You are not allowed, you are not supposed to take any plates, any spoons, and cups and glasses in your rooms, and so on. This strict part is not for the international audience, I will tell you after. So this time we will dedicate to Patañjali and some thoughts of the Upaniṣads. It will be great. Looking forward to being with you.