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Learning from the Master is important

The path of yoga demands a living master.

Yoga extends far beyond physical practice. Perfection requires the practice given by the Guru. Without this, one remains incomplete. It is like seeking a diploma without attending university. Sanātana Dharma is eternal and unchanging. Other faiths alter their scriptures and claim sole truth. Yet God is one, known by many names. The living master preserves this eternal knowledge. Step by step, one must go to the master. The story of the Rākṣasa serves as warning. A boon granted death by one’s own hand. Misapplied power led to self-destruction. This shows the danger of learning without proper guidance. Therefore, practice persistently under the master. Realize the oneness of all through the living guru.

"For that, we need the practice given by the Guru. Otherwise, we will not be perfect."

"If Kṛṣṇa knows, then that is the Gītā."

Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India

It is a beautiful day, and everyone has had a very beautiful day. We are all practicing our sādhanā in our āśram, Jadan, Om Āśram. And in our ashram, Om Ashram, there are many different arts, like Om Prabhupāda, Mahāprabhujī Kājo, Om Prabhupāda Ashram. Another, what we call Om Śrī Devpurījī Āśram Trust, at the same time, Yoga and Daily Life Foundation, Āyurveda and other activities for good health, good life, and coming further through the yoga practice. Yoga has many, many branches. According to the Bhagavad Gītā, there are twelve chapters of the yogas, but there are more and many techniques. So one technique, for example, is said: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga. So similarly, many ṛṣis were practicing and they mastered themselves according to their techniques, which we call yoga. Yoga is the name. We can say yoga or yoga. Yoga for us, we say it, and when many, many yoga names, then we call it yoga. But only physical body and a little concentration, this is good, but we have to go further far. And for that, we need the practice given by the Guru. Otherwise, we will not be perfect. Now, why not? It is very simple. If you want to go to your school or you go to your university, etc., then you get the perfection. That’s called a diploma. Maybe you know, you learn more, everything at home, etc. But you don’t go to the university, college, or school. Okay, but you don’t have the diploma. You are not getting it like that. And so, those who are thinking, “I am perfect, I don’t need other college, school, etc.,” then it means you are only for yourself. Similarly, every teacher or those who come to the Gurudev, they will give us the blessing. We call it in college or university a diploma, and according to yoga or our science, we call it a blessing. And blessings have great powers also, like for certain subjects. Therefore, we all first must understand: in many countries, many parents don’t know what yoga is, and their ancestors, they don’t know anything. Why? Because of many differences of the religions, and they say, “It is my religion,” and therefore, “We don’t want to give knowledge of others.” We don’t want to get anything from others. And therefore, we only think, “Only my God is the best, my knowledge is good, whatever we are giving me, the lectures, that’s all.” But maybe other religions, or the other, they will have different views; they will say it’s my best. And so that spread it and split it at the human’s consciousness, and everyone said, “My religion is good. My country is good.” But if we said, “Mine is good,” it means it’s not good. Yeah, this is you when you go to school, you have one subject. But in college, there’s not only one subject. Similarly, Sanātana Dharma, Sanātana Dharma does not make. Sanātana Dharma is giving everyone according to their language, their place, etc. But that means to God. Others also are searching for God. But many don’t know how my God was or how it is. But Śāśvata Dharma is that which is called Living Dharma. What does the Living Dharma mean? That is that everyone who said, “Only my religion, only one God,” knows no more. Yes, it’s good, not bad, good, but you don’t know. With the vocally, you did not speak; you are their God. And day by day, day by day, day by year by year, we are changing. But when it is Sanātana Dharma and the living God is our disciple, they will give us further that knowledge. Now, there is a difference between Sanātana and others. For example, let’s say the Bhagavad Gītā. The Bhagavad Gītā has what we call 12 chapters. And these 12 chapters are known as the 12 yogas. It doesn’t matter. But what is written is from the Upaniṣad. After the Upaniṣads, the Bhagavad Gītā, or some say always the Bhagavad Gītā is also this. So these are many things, but if we have that, then see that the Bhagavad Gītā, for about 5,000 years or more, is continuously the same. And now, those who have maybe their God and their holy book, they wrote something, but we see that in those holy scriptures, they are writing, they are writing inside. And when they are writing inside, they are changing. They think this is better. That is all better. Therefore, it is not right. So, therefore, finally, all will come to oneness, and that oneness is one God. And that one God, this one, called this, the names of the gods are different, but the gods are one. Similarly, therefore, the master, living masters, well, there are many masters, but there are learned and practiced many techniques. They are keeping that religion living. In that yoga, all is in Sanskrit, and in the Sanskrit, according to the different Vedas, and all this. We cannot change, and when you change, it is wrong. That is what we should practice with the master. Go to the master, go to the primary school, or you go to the kindergarten, you go to the high school, you go to the college, you go to the university, etc. That is step by step, and that’s also maybe why your guru is not talking about universities, colleges, or schools. But their knowledge, and that is very important, is one of the best learnings from themselves, and it is there in their brain. So now, more or less, in this year again, the day has come, that Yoga Day, and on this Yoga Day, it is given that we all should come together and practice yoga. It’s like that we have Dīvālī, the Dīpāvalī festival. We all come and we worship the Deepāvalī, and at home we are worshipping the Christian church. That’s also once a year they are worshipping. Similarly, other religious things are worshipped there. But Sanātana Dharma, they say yes, but leaving. Many people said, “Jeeja spoke with me, what a great [person].” Some said, “My Allah has taught me greatly.” All religions, but how did they speak to you? Did you see that? But in that hour, Sanātana, we see the Rāma, we see the Kṛṣṇa, we have many. We have the 23 gods, and the 24th will be coming. But besides this, because we don’t know, we don’t know what Krishna was like. We are teaching and teaching. It is said, “Kṛṣṇa jāne so Gītā, or mātā jāne so pitā.” Kṛṣṇa jāne so Gītā. If Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa knows, then that is the Gītā. Mahāprabhujī, the Karatā... Mahāprabhujī, they don’t know how he was. Now, everyone, because after Buddha, they didn’t say there is no God. Bhagavān Buddha ke bāda Bhagavān nahīṁ. But they are worshipping Buddha, and this Buddha also does not worship me. But the Buddha was completely vegetarian and very humble as well. Now, many said, Jesus—not Jesus, sorry—the Buddhas, eating fish. Others say, “Eat that, eat the cow,” etc. And many know that one tradition of the Buddhas, a very pure one, is not eating anything, no alcohol, no meat, and that is real for them, is that the Buddha. It’s coming, but we don’t know. So if Kṛṣṇa knows, then he’s a Rāmāyaṇa, the Bhāgavata. Otherwise, I don’t know. Similarly, the mother knows who your father is. Similarly, like this, the Guru needs that very much, and that is called a living master, living bhaktas, living God. People are coming, they are worshipping, they are practising, and many people now in western countries say, “Yes, my Jesus is my God, but I am now the God, and I am like, I am the God.” So I said yes, and he is giving those things. So Jesus did not say, “I am a God.” Jesus said, “I am not God.” I am your son, and son means God’s child. We are God’s children, so therefore he said no. The Father is only that God. Jesus is not a God. But it is said that Jesus was in India for many, many years and also wrote somewhere. Why not? He was there, and he learned a lot about yoga and samādhis, etc. And we don’t know that he was not so pained in the body, or he caught a disease, or he died, or this. There are some things, but if we have the real, still living, so we are on a yogic path, and all yogīs, all other religions, they have it, but they are sleeping. They are not aware. It is human, and human is like a god. Human is the god, but God gave the humans and said that you can do whatever you want. I give you the freedom, oh my son, and you will be God. Then he said, “Okay, then I will have tea.” Now he forgets God, and they think, “I am the God only.” That’s not good. So it is said that the story you know, that one Rākṣasa wanted to become liberated, to live forever, and he called Brahmā and asked, “Brahmā, what do you want?” He said, “Give me the ability to become emotional.” Brahma said, “I cannot give you emotion.” But I give you long, long life, this, that, whatever you want. But one day you will finish. He said, “No, I want.” So, but he said that God has not given me. “You are a God,” he said, “yes, every God.” Okay, Brahmājī said, “Rākṣasas, give me some miracle.” Such a miracle, such a miracle, that whatever I want with this. He said, “Yes, I can give you all but one. Say, I give you one miracle, and that is, if you put your hand on any head, they will die.” Really? Yes. So that was Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa or Śivjī. Shivjī came and gave him the blessings. So the Rākṣasa said, “Thank you very much.” You gave me the blessings that on anyone’s hand you will give, it will die. Any head? He said, “Yes, any head.” Very good. Then what did the Rākṣasa say? Shiva. Then I will test with you first. To vo mar jāye. To ṭhīk hai, Śiv jī. Bas, Śiv jī bole, “Acchā, maiṁ jā rahā hūṁ,” ke nahīṁ, nahīṁ, nahīṁ. I don’t know. You said. I will place my hand on your hand, and that man will die. I want to test. I will touch your head whether you die or not. Otherwise, I mean, you made a joke. Now, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa was, Śiva was running and running and running. He had his triśūla and his snake, which are also of tires, going through and through. Shivjī was tired. The rock, and in the rock is a cave, and there was Bhagavān Viṣṇu. And Śivjī came. Bhagavān Viṣṇu said, “Oh my God, Rām, Arhag, Bhagavān, Śivjī, please come, come into my cave. What great luck!” He came and said, “But you look very tired.” “Yes, yes,” Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, our Śiva said, “It happened, this and that, and...” “Rākṣasa is coming,” he said, “Let us wait. Rākṣasa cannot come in my cave. Kyā kare?” If I go out, the Rakṣasāheb will run with him. Okay, I will give him a blessing. Baiṭho, guphā meṁ dūdh piyo. Chāy nahīṁ thī, usmeṁ chāy nahīṁ thā. Pānī, yā dūdh, yā phal, Bhagavān Śiva sitting. And Vishnu, always Vishnu is a very, very, like a beautiful theatre player. A theatre player is not just something, it is a role. So, Viṣṇu Bhagavān, kai prakār kī yātrā karte haiṁ, kuch ban jāte haiṁ, kis se kyā ban jātā hai. So, Bhagavān Viṣṇu went ahead, one woman, a very beautiful one, and she came here. And the Rākṣasa said, “Who are you?” She said, “I don’t know, but who are you?” He said, “I am a Rākṣasa.” Oh, beautiful man. And you, I said, I am Apsarā. Apsarā, yes. So beautiful, yes. But I can teach you dancing also. What will happen with the dancing? With the dancing, you can kill someone also. Oh, that is second. And where is your Śiva? Ah, Shiva, poor man sitting there, she said. I will, will you marry me? He said, “Yes, oh, let’s, but you have to learn the dancing, otherwise you cannot make my dancing, okay?” So, I’m sitting on that rock about 20 meters away, 20 or 40 meters, and you are on the other rock, and I’m going to dance and you will learn, yes. So she said, “I’m learning ‘ting’, he’s making all this ‘ting’: tak, tak, tik, tak, tik, tik, tak, tak, tik, tik, tak.” Yeah, you are learning good. He said, “Yes, I will be your wife.” He said, “Yes.” And you are learning how, “I will be like this,” said yes, like that. You are like that, oh. And you can move one hand like this on the waist, and the other hand like this. He said, “Yes! Psst! Vo jal gayā. Kaun?” Rākṣas. Kahā thā ki jo kisī kā hāth lagāyegā, vo mar jāyegā. So you put it on your head also. You did not say, “My head, no.” And so, that’s like one is not learning properly from the guru, from the master. Therefore, learning first from the master, it doesn’t matter what mean techniques you have, but one day, suddenly you will be, we will be lost. We lost it. Therefore, practice, practice, practice. Mahāprabhujī kā ratā, Mahāprabhujī kā ratā, he kevalaṁ sat naya satsaṅga, etc. Wish you all the best and have a nice day. Prepare everyone in our yoga center for yoga practice for this day, or somewhere in the park. But the government needs permissions this year very, very much. But I wish you all the best, all the best. Siddhīp Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī, Devpurījī Mahādeva Kī, Satya Sanātana Dharma Kī, Oṁ Śāntiḥ Oṁ Śāntiḥ... He Kī Jai. No, don’t stop. Okay. And now it will be beautiful bhajans. And these bhajans are our apsarās. They are our apsarās. Oh my God! They are so beautiful, Apsarās, so you will make very nice bhajans. And Apsarās are very beautiful and very nice, so they can create temptations for anyone. So I am the first one who is running out into temptation, okay? You make the bhajans, everyone. Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavānakī, Kī Jaya. Oṁ Bolo Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavāna Kī Jai, Śrī Deveśvara Mahādeva Kī Jai, Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda Jī Gurudeva Kī Jai, Śrī Svāmī Maheśvarānanda Jī Gurudeva Kī Jai. Oṁ Bolo Śrī Prāṇāyām Bhagavān Kī Jai, Satguru Dev Kī Jai, Viśvaguru Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara, Svāmī Maheśvarānandajī, Yogī Rāj Kī Jai, Hemana Mana Mayelī Na Satguru Shao. Juga, juga, jīva, Maheśvarānanda, juga, juga, Himālayan Siddhāva, Tārsrī Alakhpurījī, Mahādeva kī jaya. Hindu Dharma Samrāṭ Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Mādhvānandajī Bhagavān Kī Jaya, Viśvaguru Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Maheśvarānandajī Gurudeva Kī Jaya, Sabhā Maṇḍala Kī Jaya.

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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