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Part 1: The Power of the Full Moon and the True Meaning of Yoga Today is a full moon day, and this is especially significant. The moon possesses a power greater than the sun. If the moon were always full, our planet would explode; our hearts could not endure such force. But today, being the full moon, a very special radiance of the moon rests upon our planet. God Kṛṣṇa declared, “Through the moonlight, I enter into the vegetation as nectar.” Yoga is our subject, and meditation — particularly today. Meditation is the key to yoga; without it, yoga cannot be completed. Although the word yoga is known worldwide, many people are unaware of its true definition, purpose, and benefit. Yoga is immensely ancient. The space element, ākāśa — empty space, which we also call ānanda — is endless. Our experiences and knowledge are limited. Yet, in the Vedas, the self-realized masters speak of Ananta Brahmāṇḍa — the endless universe, the dark empty space. Within this space, within Ānanda, the endless universe is termed consciousness. Consciousness exists in space, not space within consciousness. Consciousness is like an embryo in the mother’s body. This space is never empty; consciousness is ever and ever present there. Between consciousness and space, there is a third power — an energy or principle we call tattva. This is the balancing, harmonizing, and uniting force. That very principle of balance and union is known as yoga. Yoga is not physical exercise, nor breath control, nor concentration, nor meditation. All these are merely the way to yoga. Literally, the word yoga means uniting or balance. It derives from “yoke.” In the West, some philosophers illustrate this with a chariot pulled by two oxen. A wooden piece placed on their shoulders or necks — called dhuri — yokes them together. Both oxen must pull in unison, walking with the same rhythm and speed. If one moves faster, the other suffers; they must balance. This concept of “yoke” also appears in the German language. We will return to this theme later. Thus, yoga is that which unites, balances, and harmonizes space and consciousness. It means the union of individual consciousness with cosmic consciousness. We exist as individual souls, but as consciousness — as the ātmā, the Self — we are all one. Consider space: the space in this hall, in different rooms, on the road, and in the park is one and the same. Duality arises from walls and objects, creating different atmospheres. Likewise, as the Self, we are all one. But as victims of change — which we call birth and death, coming and going — we experience happiness and unhappiness, pain and pleasure. That which undergoes these experiences is the soul. But the soul is not the ātmā; it is not the true Self realized in Self-realization. In that endlessness where nothing existed except consciousness, one tendency awoke within the cosmic consciousness. The Vedas state that time itself begins then. According to Vedic mathematics and the yogīs, this marks the counting of time: the yugas — Satya Yuga, Dvāpara Yuga, Tretā Yuga, Kali Yuga, Mahā Yuga, Manvantaras, and so on — spanning millions upon millions of years. A year on Earth differs from the time scale of Brahmā, the creator. We will touch on this point a little later. This awakening of a special power is what Christianity expresses as “Thy will be done, O Lord” — the divine will. Does God have a wish? Not in the way we do. Our wishes — for happiness, health, long life, harmony, money — are endless. Human desires are never fully satisfied; they wax and wane like the moon, which is full today but will decrease tomorrow, then increase again. The moon never remains constant. So, that cosmic or divine will is the awakening of consciousness. The purpose of meditation is to reach that level of consciousness, which is not easy. It is easy to speak, interesting to hear and read, but to achieve is hard work. Yet, nothing is impossible. The Vedas further say that He declared: “I am one; now I will multiply myself.” With this, Nāda — the primordial sound, the resonance — awoke. That resonance we call Aum. Ukāra Makāra — the U and M aspects — gave rise to the trinity: Śiva (consciousness), Viṣṇu, and Brahmā. From this, the elements began: fire, air, water, and earth — the five elements manifest in space. Anant Brahmāṇḍa Śāstra Sūryas — endless universes and thousands of solar systems — are all created from this one consciousness. From that moment, every individual soul — the jīva — is like a taraṅga, a ray of the sun. Just as the sun emits countless rays, these souls have been floating on the waves of time throughout the endless universe, experiencing pain and pleasure, happiness and sadness, darkness and light, periodically manifesting in form. Life exists everywhere in the infinite, but not like life on this planet. Life in water differs from life on land, and various principles allow creatures to fly thousands of meters high. Thus, in astral dimensions, diverse forms of life exist. The soul itself does not change with our lives. This body is merely a garment that will be changed for another subtle body. Presently, we are enveloped in five different sheaths: Annamaya Kośa (the body of nourishment), Prāṇamaya Kośa (the body of energy), Manomaya Kośa (the mental body), Ānandamaya Kośa (the causal body), and Vijñānamaya Kośa (the body of knowledge). Within these five layers, deeper still, resides the soul. On this planet, the Creator has manifested 8.4 million species, categorized as Jalchar (aquatic), Thalchar (terrestrial), and Nabchar (aerial). Among all these, only one is the human being. With the awakening of cosmic consciousness, various energies developed. Two major forces emerged: Devī Śakti and Āsurī Śakti. Devī Śakti is the spiritual power — the power of God, holy souls, and saints. Āsurī Śakti (from Āsuras, meaning Rākṣasas or devils) can be called the negative energy. These two have been fighting since the beginning; sometimes Devī Śakti prevails, sometimes Āsurī Śakti. And we are caught in between as victims. Thus, every form of life — astral or physical — faces enemies. There is nowhere to hide in the entire universe. For the three spheres of life on this planet — jalatara, sthalatara, napatara — protective forces were created, much like our modern Navy, Ground Force, and Air Force. The ground level corresponds to our present existence and its immediate problems; the deeper, naval level relates to our past, connecting with the psyche — what we call psychology. Psychic problems pursue us from generation to generation. Never think that a problem you have today will simply end tomorrow. It follows us everywhere, and we often seek revenge. Our blood boils with the fire of vengeance. We take action, which brings reaction, and reaction spurs further action, an endless cycle. Thus, we have enemies in the past, present, and future. Yet, simultaneously, we receive spiritual support and protection from all three times. Everything we experience through the body, mind, intellect, and emotions is just a layer covering the soul. Imagine you are inside a balloon. Positive thoughts and energies inflate and brighten the balloon; negative actions and thoughts pollute and darken it. This pattern follows us from life to life. Human beings possess one powerful tool, and only through it can they free themselves from darkness and the cycle of birth and death. Mahāprabhujī kī kṛpā, Mahāprabhujī kī kṛpā. The intellect receives information through five channels, known as the indriyas, or senses. There are five senses of action and five senses of knowledge. The five senses of knowledge are called jñāna indriyas (jñāna meaning knowledge). Through vision, whatever you see is recorded in your consciousness. You may have seen me at the airport from a distance, and now you recognize me, even though we didn’t speak; my image was registered in your brain. Through hearing, when your father calls, you instantly recognize his voice because it is already recorded. Thus, the eyes, ears, nose (smell), tongue (taste), and skin (touch) provide us with information — both good and bad. They do not judge; they simply follow their dharma. The nature of the eyes is to see whatever appears, unless you close them. That is why the three monkeys are invoked: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. When the mind and intellect receive excessive information, they become overwhelmed — what we now call stress. How can we eliminate stress and relax? Yoga and daily life offer many techniques: concentration, meditation, prāṇāyāma, relaxation, and more, which we will discuss later. First, let us clearly understand what yoga is and why we practice it. Information received by the conscious mind is transferred to the subconscious. The mind acts as a messenger, taking that information deep into the subconscious, where it becomes desire, or vāsanā. Some desires are strong, some negligible, but everything is recorded — who knows when we might need it? After a while, that desire wants to resurface. For example, suppose you and your wife go for a walk. Passing a beautiful ice cream shop, you suggest having some. She agrees. However, remember that yesterday your doctor advised you not to eat ice cream for ten days. She is a good wife, and you are a good husband. A good husband never says “no” to his wife, because she uses her brain. Similarly, if you wanted to drink alcohol, she would say no. So she reminds you, and you, being an obedient husband, agree to go home. But inwardly, you feel disappointed and a little angry at both the doctor and your wife, though you accept it for your own good. Three days later, you have a dream where a month seems to have passed. Dream time differs from waking time. In the dream, you and your wife are walking, and you approach the same ice cream shop. Your wife invites you to eat ice cream, saying, “It’s been more than a week; you can eat it now. Let’s go.” You agree. You go inside, order, and sit at a table with a large ball of ice cream — pink, yellow, white. As you lift a big portion on your spoon and bring it close to your lips — just a centimeter away — the alarm rings. You open your eyes: no ice cream, nothing. What becomes of that unfulfilled desire? Even in the dream, you couldn’t enjoy it. Such desires gradually lose their distinct form and turn into a psychic problem — indescribable, unpleasant feelings and selfishness. You become so selfish that you are ready to give up anything to satisfy the desire. Desires that remain unfulfilled at the subconscious level eventually sink into the unconscious. Thus, we have four levels: conscious, subconscious, unconscious, and superconscious. The problems of all three lower levels can be dissolved, solved, or understood only when we reach the higher, superconscious level. That is the power of meditation — it frees us from all problems and sufferings. The unconscious level is a storeroom — it holds the impressions from past lives that we call destiny. We have two kinds of destiny: one from previous lives and one from this life. Psychic problems begin from the very moment of conception. In what situation was the mother? In what condition was the father? What was the emotional environment — anger, hatred, happiness, or love? All of this influences the new life forming in the womb. Then, during the nine months of pregnancy, if the husband neglects her, quarrels with her, or if there are troubles with parents or in-laws, many factors impact the embryo. Therefore, it is the duty of all family members to support the pregnant woman — even animals should respect and support her. Such conditions stem from past-life destiny. As the saying goes: Pralabdha pūrva racanā, paścāt śarīra — first destiny is created, then the body. The nest is built before the bird lays its egg. In the same way, our life is given according to destiny. So, the fundamental question is: what is my origin, and how can I become one with it? All forms of liquid — in plants, in our bodies, in the air as humidity — originate from the ocean. Part 2: The Ocean of Consciousness and the Light of Meditation Even the clouds and the rain—the ultimate destination of this liquid that flows around is to return to the ocean. Every river strives to flow toward the ocean. Similarly, every creature, no matter its form, even a tiny ant, possesses the same kind of soul, the light of God, just as a human does. Do not think that a big body contains a big soul. An elephant is very large. Do you think it has an equally large soul? No. It is simply a light. And yet, in our human experience, the best education comes from our parents, our mother and father. You will never find a better teacher than your mother and father—except in cases of psychological disturbance. If someone is ill, that is a different matter. Mātā bhavati na kumātā: a mother can never be a bad mother, unless she is ill. That is why it is said: the first God is the mother. Then, of course, comes the father. Your first teachers are your brothers, sisters, friends, and colleagues. Next come your school teachers, then your religious teachers. Then the Satguru Dev, the spiritual master, and finally, your own self. Your master is like a candle that is already burning, while we are like a candle that has not yet been lit. We must bring our unlit candle to the one that is already alight. Only then can the burning flame ignite the other candle. Similarly, an enlightened master can enlighten the disciple. Otherwise, it is not possible. You may do many things, but you will not reach that point. Therefore, the ultimate aim of practicing yoga is to purify all levels of consciousness and to resolve all problems. As the great sage Patañjali said, "Citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ," to purify all the thoughts in your consciousness. Then, finally, your individual self will merge into the cosmic Self. One drop will fall into the ocean, and we will no longer say, "This is a drop, that is the ocean." This individual self will one day suddenly awaken in that cosmic light. There you will lose your individual existence—no karma, nothing, not even your name. If this does not happen, then as an individual soul—not this body—we will journey for who knows how many ages. Thus we come to understand that through personal experience, discipline, and practice, we can realize this. We have had mother and father, wife and husband, children in every life—eating, drinking, sleeping, and producing children. Every creature is an expert at this. If a human being is involved only in these things, what a pity! Our life is just two days. Do din kī jindagī. We have only two days of life. One day was yesterday, which is gone. The second is today. No one has seen tomorrow. Tomorrow will always remain tomorrow; you can never be present in tomorrow. Therefore, whatever is to be done, do it today. But a person who is not awakened inwardly is sleeping in the ignorance of desires and their fulfillment—desires that will never be fully satisfied. The joy you seek is small compared to the suffering that accompanies that enjoyment. This human life is more filled with temptation than the lives of other creatures. What will happen to this human soul? In God’s kingdom or in the astral world, there is no difference. A soul is a soul. We will not say, "This is a human, that was a buffalo, and that was a rabbit." No. There is no rabbit, no elephant, no buffalo, no human—only the one. All are souls, and these souls carry the light of the Self. And that self-consciousness can only awaken within us through the guidance of the Master. Thus meditation can break through. Now, prayer, mantra, and meditation—all three are one. Prayer is meditation. Repeating a mantra, God’s name, is meditation. And meditation is a longer prayer. When I pray, I have a consultation with God. When I repeat my mantra, I am with God. And when I meditate, I am sitting on the lap of God, like a baby sleeping on its mother’s lap. There are different kinds of meditation: active meditation, passive meditation, creative meditation—which we will practice today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and we will try to do something. Meditation is very, very difficult to practice. If you think that closing your eyes and sitting down is meditation, no—that is not meditation. We are merely trying. That is concentration, and often we cannot even concentrate. When our concentration becomes a bit calm, then between concentration and meditation there stands a very big obstacle, a very thick wall: sleep, drowsiness. There are many thoughts, and then I say, "I am relaxing." I close my eyes and relax. The thoughts begin to disappear, and I fall asleep. Where is my meditation? It is not easy, my dear, to master your sleep, your dream, and your waking state. I will not discuss dreams now—that would require another long lecture. But literally, your dream is your reality. Whatever you dream is intimately connected to your personality, to your soul. Meditation cannot be practiced. There are no techniques to practice meditation; all techniques are merely concentration. There are no techniques to meditate. Meditation comes on its own, just as sleep comes on its own. What do we do for sleep? We go to our bedroom, bid others good night, lie down with our pillow, and close our eyes. Śrī Śrī... Then it may happen that you cannot sleep—your sleep is not sound. Every forty minutes, half hour, or hour, you wake up. You cannot sleep; you disturb your sleep. Similarly, when you think, "Now I will sit down and meditate," okay, it will follow—but if you force it, you cannot. But if you insist, "No, I must meditate," or "I want to know what meditation is like, what the power of meditation is," or "I don’t understand the power of meditation," then you cannot meditate. Therefore, the great sage Patañjali, Maharṣi Patañjali, who wrote so beautifully about yoga, divided yoga into different parts: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, and Rāja Yoga. Patañjali is the father of psychology. He studied the human body, mind, consciousness, soul—everything. And his first instruction is: "Athaḥ yoga anuśāsanam." Yoga begins with discipline. One who has no discipline can never succeed in yoga. Then the second: "Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ." Your yoga practice begins to develop when you master your thoughts. You do not allow random thoughts during your meditation. Or through practicing yoga, you can reduce your thoughts—what I call anti-stress meditation, such as yoga nidrā, deep relaxation, and so on. Thus meditation will come on its own, in the beginning. We must make the body comfortable. Kāyā is the medium; meditation needs kāyā, the medium. Kāyā means body, sthiraṃ means motionless. A motionless body—when the body is motionless, the mind is relaxed. This glass is motionless on the table, and the liquid inside is also very still. If I move the table, the liquid moves too. Or if I take a small stone and drop it into a lake, it creates waves. So if the body is uncomfortable, you cannot meditate. Or when you are meditating and a single thought arises, it is like a very calm, beautiful lake. You throw a stone, and the waves ripple outward, one after another. One thought creates so many vṛttis, so many thought-waves. It is like throwing a stone into a peaceful pond and then sitting down to count the waves. The same happens when you meditate and you think about something that disrupts your meditative consciousness. And it is not easy for us to be without thinking. For example, now I sit to meditate and I resolve, "I will not think anymore. I am meditating. No, I will not think." But the moment I think, "I will not think," I am already thinking. Yet meditation will come, and it has the power to destroy all negative energies. It will break through. Just as when the sun shines, the fog disappears, or darkness vanishes. A cave may have been dark for millions of years. If you say, "Darkness, you have existed here for millions of years; now go out," the darkness will not leave. But simply bring a light, and the darkness disappears instantly. Similarly, we must come to that knowledge, and the darkness of ignorance will disappear. Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya—lead us from darkness to light. Mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya—lead us from mortality to immortality. Asato mā sad gamaya—lead us from unreality to reality. And that is the path of meditation. Now, you need not sit in lotus posture. Meditation does not require that posture. Liberation does not come from posture; it comes from the blessing, the mercy of the master or God, and your own knowledge. So you may lean back in your chair, stretch out your legs. Patañjali says, "Do not meditate while lying down, otherwise you will sleep." If you lie down and say, "I am meditating," yes, you will sleep. Meditation requires that you remain alert. You withdraw from the external world, but you do not disconnect from it. It does not disturb you, but you know it is there. Through meditation, we can generate the energy called willpower, and that willpower has the strength to solve certain problems. Through meditation, you can fulfill your wishes. But meditation must be free from any kind of ambition. It must be free from fear, free from arguments. Meditation should be crystal clear—no selfishness, no anger, no jealousy. Then you will receive that pure light. With this pure light, you can purify everything. Mahatma Gandhi said, "Whenever I had problems or needed to solve a situation, I went to my meditation place. I closed my eyes and prayed to God. I surrendered my entire being to Him, and He gave me the answer, He gave me the strength." Gandhijī said, "My strength is not from physical nourishment; my strength is from my prayers, my meditation. I can fast physically, but I cannot fast mentally from my prayers. That gave me this strength." And so, in His name, he realized that he could solve unbelievable, unsolvable problems. Such is the power of meditation. After five days of continuous meditation, you will realize the strength of your meditation. It is meditation that leads to God realization, and meditation that leads to self-realization. The key—the door—to spirituality is meditation. Without meditation, no sādhanā practice can be successful. Even if you are a karma yogī—meaning you are only engaged in work—that work also requires meditation. "My work is a worship to Thee, O my Lord." Work becomes worship. When you help someone without expecting the fruits of your actions, that is like meditation. Renounce the fruits of your actions—that is meditation. But if you expect the fruits, that is not meditation; it is selfishness. Still, people like to know how to sit, what to do, where to concentrate, so that they may enter meditation. We will do that now. But first, I give you ten or fifteen minutes of rest. You may open the window, get fresh air, and move about. It will be easier to feel your blood circulation if you remove your shoes. Don’t worry; we have the floor cleaned—three times with a vacuum, water, and some kind of organic cleaning soap. Okay, please stand up. Interlock your fingers, turn your palms outward, and stretch your hands upward. Place your hands on your head. Inhale, stretch your arms up, and rise onto your toes. Exhale. Once more: stretch arms up, stand on your toes, normal breath. Again, hands up. Purījī, Purījī... Now take fifty steps in place, on your toes, heels lifted. I’m not counting; you must count for yourselves, as each person has a different rhythm. After fifty steps, walk on your heels. An earthquake! Do you see my glass? Good. Hands sideways and down. Turn to this side, then to the other side. Interlock your arms and sit comfortably on your chair. Bend your knees. That’s it. Lean back on the chair; it’s fine. Please do not lean on the table. This will give you more energy and strength to sit relaxed for meditation. Once more: sit onto your chair. You need not go very low—lower than a "chair boy," yes. Lower is easier. And up. Very, very good. Now turn toward me. Touch your fingers to the tips of your shoulders, and roll your shoulders ten times as if you are drawing zeros with your elbows on a blackboard. Now the other direction. Very good. Thank you. Please take your seats. You may remain without putting on your shoes. Lights off—some lights off, not all. This one, your cameras, man. Turn that one off; leave this one. Oh, very good. Now it is best, yes, very good. Make yourself comfortable. You may place your hands on your thighs, touching the index finger and thumb together, palms resting on the thighs or knees. Or you may keep your palms facing upward, or cross your fingers and place them in your lap. Whatever is comfortable for you, do that. If you need to look at anything, do it now. Then, please close your eyes and relax. Take a deep inhale and exhale. We will chant Oṃ three times. While chanting Oṃ, withdraw yourself from the external world. Listen to the resonance of Aum and feel its vibration throughout your entire body, and feel the resonance in this room, deep within. Deep inhale, hold, inhale, breathe. Let your eyes be gentle. You have been working hard mentally and physically, but now it is time to relax. Mentally say to yourself, "Relax, my friend, relax. Just relax for now, and let me be one with myself." Without concentrating, without creating any restless thoughts, simply be aware of your presence and your relaxation. Relax your whole body, from the toes to the top of the head, and from the top of the head to the toes. Calves... Feel the relaxation in your thighs, hip joints. Feel comfortable in your knee joints, ankle joints, and hip joints. Throat muscles, wrists, fingers, palms, throat muscles, face muscles, jaw... and relax your skin, hair, head, neck, neck… neck. Now become aware of your breath, simply knowing that you are inhaling and exhaling. Relax. Feel the touch of the breath deep in the nostrils, and at the same time the expansion and contraction of the abdomen; let the breath become deeper and deeper. Now just observe—no concentration—just observe the inner space behind the forehead, at the eyebrow center. Do not concentrate. Do not try to create any visions. But if waves of color, dots of color, curtains of color, or simply darkness appear, simply be a witness. Our main aim is to relax. Feel comfortable. Deep inhale and exhale. Now we will chant "Oṃ" three times. While chanting, try to become more outwardly aware. Follow the resonance of Oṃ beyond this room. Inhale. Normal breath. Slowly move your toes. Curl and stretch your toes. Stretch your ankle joints: point your feet toward the ground and heels up, then draw the toes toward your body and heels down. Stretch the front of the feet. Fingers: close your fists, open your palms, close your fists, and rotate your wrists. Move your shoulders forward, up and down, and rotate them. Bring your palms together and rub them. Place your palms on your face and wait until the lights come on. Keep your eyes closed; leave your palms on your face. Wait until the lights are on, then slowly open your eyes.