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A Satsaṅg on Pašman Island: The Master's Examination

A master observes disciples to test their true spiritual attainment beyond mere words. The ancient sage Patañjali would take his disciples on retreats, observing their conduct. He announced a test to see who had transcended worldly attachments and ego. One disciple claimed to have realized the supreme Self, stating nothing existed, not even master or disciple. To test this, the master raised a bamboo stick. The disciple reacted with anger, proving his ego remained. The master then sent him away for further practice. This illustrates that realization is shown through unshakable equanimity, not philosophical claims. Modern practitioners are similarly examined through their daily actions, respect for sacred elements, and dignified conduct, distinguishing a true spiritual aspirant from mere worldly behavior.

"The master said, 'Oh, you said nothing exists in you. From where did it come out?'"

"Respect the water element, respect the fire element, respect the air element."

Filming location: Croatia

Praṇām Gurudev, Param Pūjya Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmījī Maheśvarānandajī. Hari Om. All dear brothers and sisters, yoga practitioners from all over the world who have come to this beautiful island of Pašman in the Republic of Croatia on the Adriatic coast. We have just spent one divine month in the bounties of the Czech Republic, at the Śrī Mahāprabhudīp Foundation Ashram in Strilky. We have now arrived here in the kingdom of Gurudev, at the seaside. We traveled around this beautiful island today and enjoyed the magnificent view, the great sea, the blue sky, and the blue waters. The island is full of fig and olive trees, and we are sure we will enjoy our yoga sādhanā, our satsaṅgs, and our time together with our Gurudev for the next five days. This decision, made suddenly by Svāmījī in Strilky just a few days ago, immediately became a reality for all of us, and your response was to come here. The speed with which we gathered shows simply that where there is a will, there is always a way. In the coming days, on this beautiful island, we will again have a golden opportunity to inhale the presence of Gurū Dev through our sādhanā and through his darśan, and to enjoy being together in these last days of summer. For Yoga in Daily Life practitioners all over the world, summer is the time when we are mostly in our Anuṣṭhāna programs with Svāmījī, using that precious time of our human lives to move forward towards our eternal goal. To move towards ourselves, towards freedom, towards the light, towards purity and divine completeness. We are sure all of us present here will enjoy these five days immensely, and we will try to share this with you, dear friends all over the world, who are with us through the webcasting. Much love, devotion, and thankfulness to our Gurudev, who brought us from the mountains to the seaside and everywhere in the kingdom of yoga, and with our family of seekers and practitioners who are striving to complete their human lives. Most Vākabha, Ārya Om. Both together, microphone and loudspeaker. Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandajī Bhagavān Kī Jaya. Satya Sanātana Dharma Kī Jaya. Adoration to our Siddha Pīṭha, Alakhpurījī Siddha Pīṭha. Our prayers and worship to Sat Gurudev, Deveśvara Mahādeva, Mahāprabhujī, Gurujī. This satsaṅg, this blessing, comes to you from a beautiful island called Pašman. On this island, there is a beautiful spiritual center called Harmony. The owner, the lord of this property, is also spiritual. Many spiritual groups, many devotees of God in different forms, have come here throughout the years for a retreat of spirituality. The great divine holy saint Maharṣi Patañjali, the father of psychology, the father of the science of the human body, mind, consciousness, and soul, was making experiments with his devotees, his sādhakas. He was not only giving lectures every day but also observing how his disciples were developing. This beautiful island, which is the territory of the beautiful, divine country, the Republic of Croatia in Europe, is the setting. Our bhaktas with the webcast are with us today; nearly 185 countries are listening to this lecture. I am sure those who are listening will make inquiries about Harmony, the center on Pašman island. Patañjali, who is constantly observing his disciples, training them, giving them instructions and directions, also takes them for beautiful retreats—a little bit of what you might call a picnic, though the worldly picnic is different. This is called Vihāra. Like Lord Śiva used to go for Vihāra, for a walk throughout the whole Himālaya. God Rāma went for 14 years of vihāra. What a beautiful time to spend in the forest. And there are many others who went for a vihāra under the water, sitting in samādhi in the water and surviving for who knows how long. They were great saints. So the master asked them, "Who is the best disciple who has understood me and who has reached the level of consciousness that one is beyond all these worldly enjoyments and one with the self, the ātmā? They will go with me, and there will be a very beautiful time." Many disciples said, "Master, I know, I know," and many raised their hands. The master said, "I will test some of you every day. If you are in that higher consciousness and detached from the body, external vikṣepas, kleśas, and the inner vikṣepas and kleśas, if you are free from this or not—heart-reading," said the Master. "At the highest level of consciousness, there is no ahaṁkāra, there is no ego, there is no anger, there is no offending, nothing." The disciples said, "Master, we are free." So the Master said, "Let’s go, who will come?" Many of them followed, just as you followed now. After a beautiful Anuṣṭhāna in Strilky Ashram, a beautiful Kriyā Anuṣṭhāna, you were lean, and now you have come for examination here. How many passed, how many fell? That I can see from the first step into the water. Well, all devotees came and had a beautiful dinner. All were experts, very expert in dinner. Patañjali was surprised that in the āśram they had alpāhāra. For a yogī, for a sādhaka, alpāhāra is necessary. Alpa āhāra: alpa means little, āhāra means diet—very little diet. You know, in Europe you have the so-called Alpine Mountains; "Alpine" comes from a Sanskrit word. It was known by the ṛṣis: small Himalaya, Alpa mountain. Yes, this is completely a Sanskrit word. Hindu Kush, which is reaching till Turkey, within Turkey, and Afghanistan, Tashkand—many, many ṛṣi stories are about Tashkand. They were spending their tapasyā there. Mahāprabhudīp Karata, Mahāprabhudīp Karata, Mahāprabhudīp. Alas. Alashya means laziness. Tantra. Tāmasik vṛttis. Tantra means as soon as you went to meditation, you are doing so. Tantra avasthā—that cannot be a yogī. Swas par swas, ascending, descending breath, you are aware. So, the first evening, the first dinner, the Ṛṣi was surprised. They forgot the alpāhāra because in the harmony, harmony is harmony. Such a nice dinner, and fruits, and this and that; one sādhaka consumed eating for seven persons. Well, in the kitchen of God, in the harmony, there is no question of having little things. He is Pūrṇa, Pūrṇa, Anapūrṇā Devī. This is said to be good. He put all the sādhakās’ names out. One said, "Master, I ate only three figs, three figs, nothing else." The master said, "Tomorrow you will be on the list." "For what, Master?" "To have a test, to see if you pass the test or not. Yes, can you give me your introduction of your level of consciousness?" "Master, I am above everything. No fear, no anger, no jealousy, no revenge, no krodha, no kāma, nothing, master. Nothing exists for me; all is māyā, saṃsāra. Eko brahmadutte nastri." Patañjali Ṛṣi said, "Well, sleep today peacefully, and tomorrow morning at 9 o’clock, there will be an examination." So he came and sat in front of the master. The master said, "Now you go to the highest level of your consciousness, above everything." He said, "Master, I am not above, I have nothing. If I am above, sometimes I can come down. I solved everything." The master said, "Okay, sit down and meditate." He was sitting, preparing Padmāsana, Lolāsana, sitting like this, making like this, like that, this way, that way—yes, preparing to go to the highest level of consciousness. And chanting Oṃ into the Brahmarandhra. Where is the Brahmarandhra? The Sahasrāra Cakra is the door to Brahman, to the divine consciousness. So, Brahmarandhra—he came to the Brahmarandhra, and the master sees everything as beautiful. The master said, "Have you anything to tell?" "Master, I am Ātmā. I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am not consciousness, this consciousness. I am not intellect. Master, nothing exists in me. Nothing exists. Even no master and disciple. And 'master' is so hard for me to speak, because there is no one who speaks. Only Brahman." The master had a bamboo in his hand, on his head. That Brahma Jñānī, who is Brahman-realized, became angry. "Master, you always preach ahiṃsā. How could you be cruel?" The master said, "Oh, you said nothing exists in you. From where did it come out?" Such an anger, Krodha, Krodha Agni, the fire of anger. "Go and meditate for twelve years under the cave, and then come to my āśram. Then I will tell you more: Cittavṛtti Nirodha." So it’s not only that the master is talking and talking, but also observing every footstep of the disciples. You came here to this island, and you jumped just in the water like a naked frog, a water frog, you know. Is this the behavior of a yogī? If this is the behavior of a Yoga in Daily Life student, I was so disappointed. Why? From whom was I disappointed? From myself. That I give you so much, and you don’t keep even half a percent. That’s it. What have you learned, my dear? According to your behavior, you have learned zero. Wasting the time of the masters and your time. Pack your things tomorrow and go home. Hari Om. Is this the behavior of a Yoga in Daily Life student? How do you represent your yoga and your masters in normal society? What is the difference between you and others? You are not that tourist, but you took a big risk to become a tourist. That’s it, what I want to tell you. So, the first day you fell. But someone told me, "Please, Svāmījī, forget it, forgive it. Tomorrow they will be better." So, okay, I will see how you will be better. This kind of behavior, jokes and this and that—that’s not like a yogī. You should have come properly dressed, come to the ocean. The ocean is the holiest, the holiest one on this planet. All the holy rivers merge into the ocean. The holy water of all holy sages flows into this ocean. All merges into the ocean. Holy earth and holy dust of all saints flows into the ocean. Jalahī jīvan hai. Water is life, Bodha Jīvat. That is your life. You jumped in, and many of you begin to spit. My God, you spit everything and swim and get stuck on other skin. Respect the water element, respect the fire element, respect the air element. That’s it. A great saint, an incarnation, Pārśurāmjī, who was an incarnation of God Viṣṇu, Pārśurām, he said: "Rājā, Yogī, Agni, Jal, Jis Kī Uḷṭī Rīt, Daratā Rāyo Paraśurām, Thoṛī Bhale Pṛthvī Rājā, Yogī, Agni, Jal." King, yogīs, elements, fire, water. Darta Rayo Parashram Jī, you should respect and be careful. Thodī bhale preeth, they don’t have that love; it can finish you anytime. And therefore, as spiritual devotees, all came together on the beach, folded their hands, and made a prayer: "Oh Divine Earth, Oh Divine Water, Air and Fire, Pavitra, you are Pavitra. The saritā of my heart, the river of my heart of devotion, merges into you. Allow me to step into you, so that all my sins can be washed in this." Like that, I was expecting the spiritual bhaktas—what will they do when they come here? So Patañjali put them again in meditation for some yugas, and then it’s called mini-yugas, 12 years, and meditate further. So I’m happy that you are here for the examination. Tomorrow I will observe. I’m sitting in some other room, far from you, a few hundred meters away, but don’t forget, I know what’s happening in this hall. I know what’s happening on the beach and what’s happening inside the water. Respect and learn. Gain this divine energy. Respect your body. Respect others’ bodies. Respect the dignity of your body. You are not like a fox, deer, dogs, and all who are just running here and there without dress. It is said, Tulsīdāsjī said: "Tulsi Prabhu kī bhakti binā rānī bhī kutyā hoī, alīyā galīyā bhaṭkatā to bhīre tukṛā ḍālenā koī." Without the devotion of God, even the queen can become a dog and will run here and there; no one will be there to feed her. Mīrābāī said also, without the devotion of the Lord and understanding the human dignity, that will become a monkey, and we will not get even 10 cm or 15 cm of cloth to cover her buttocks. We have, every culture had a very great respect everywhere in the world. But just now, in the last few decades, humans have become not like humans, but like animals. There is a great expectation and hope from all the spiritual people around the world to save mankind, to save humanity, because others are saved. God loves all creatures, and they are free for the humans. And therefore, from Patañjali till today, on this Pašman Island in Croatia, in beautiful harmony, you should understand and develop the harmony in your heart. Tomorrow, Patañjali is coming again with the Sāṃbhādipada, so we will see what he is saying tomorrow. Therefore, ṭhāna, pīna, bhogana, paśubhi, param sujana—eating, sleeping, enjoying, creating children—animals are also very expert. O men, if you are doing only this, then there is very little difference between you and anyone. Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān, Kī Jai. Devīśvara Mahādeva, Kī Jai. Dharma Samrāṭ, Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandajī Bhagavān, Kī Jai. Satya Sanātana.

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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