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A Gathering at the Mahāprabhū Dīp Satsaṅg

A spiritual address at the Mahāprabhū Dīp Satsaṅg ashram.

"It is a great opportunity for us to be here in our ashram. You know that this place is taken care of by all our bhaktas."

"Yoga is a science of the body, a science of the mind, a science of spirituality, and a science of the best practices."

A speaker addresses a gathering, describing the benefits and peaceful atmosphere of the ashram in Strelka. The talk covers the center's role in teaching yoga and Indian culture, advocates for vegetarian and vegan lifestyles rooted in ahiṃsā (non-harm), and emphasizes the importance of daily yoga practice, specifically Sarvahitāsana, for health. The speaker also encourages preserving one's native culture and language while living harmoniously.

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

Alagpurījī Mahādev kī, Devādidev, Deveśwar Mahādev kī, Ārādhi Bhagavān Śrīdīp Nārāyaṇ Mahāprabhujī kī, Satguru Swāmī Madhavānanjī Bhagavān kī, Lalanānjī Mahārāj kī, Śivānānjī Mahārāj kī, Bodhānānjī Mahārāj kī, Brahmānānjī Mahārāj kī. It is a great opportunity for us to be here in our ashram. You know that this place is taken care of by all our bhaktas. There are many couples, singles, and elderly people here, and they are all very happy. From time to time, other people come to this center to learn and practice yoga and to learn something about Indian culture. We have this beautiful village with many farmers and other people, and they are also very happy. Throughout the whole year, they receive some income because of the ashram. Many people who come here, even for one day, register and contribute to the city. There is a very famous and very old cemetery here. Many people come from different parts of Europe—not only from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but sometimes from as far away as America and France—so it is very famous. Besides that, our castle is also very famous. It is said that in all of Europe, there are only two castles like this, made so beautifully with meadows and trees. Many people come here to see it. It is very far from any factories, so the air is very good and the atmosphere is excellent. The oxygen and air are very clean. When we come here to practice yoga, for our physical body, mind, health, peace, and harmony, the spiritual energy and feelings are the best. This center, this ashram, this castle has been dedicated to our yoga and life for a long time. It is another part of education, and therefore it is called the Mahāprabhū Dīp Foundation, Mahāprabhū Dīp Satsaṅg. That is very, very important and good. Sometimes groups come with children, and we help everyone who arrives. We mostly have our own garden for vegetables and very good cows for milk. There are many shops where you can buy things, and there is especially one restaurant called Tilak with very good, clean food without chemicals. It is healthy food, famously called pizza—Tilak pizza—and that building is also part of Mahāprabhujī's satsaṅg. Many people come from different villages or cities here for lunch. Many people come here to learn the Sanskrit language, about Indian culture, and to listen to lectures about the Vedas, Upaniṣads, and Bhagavad Gītā. Of course, we also learn about our European culture. We maintain a balance. When we come here once a year, more people come from different parts of the world, which is very good for us. Now, we are in your land, your country. The Czech Republic is very famous here. Prague is the capital. The people are very humble, good, and neutral. Before, it was once Czechoslovakia, but now there are two countries: the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It is like one body with two hands; they are very good to each other and have a very good friendship. It is very great. I wish all countries in the world could be like this and not fight like some other countries do. This ashram, this center, was established by our dear sister Pārvatī. Pārvatī is a sannyāsin, a very humble, dance-oriented person who is very helpful to everyone—elderly people, younger people, and children. This is a very good atmosphere here. Of course, those who come here should live very harmoniously and be vegetarian. Some people who come here want to have vegan food, and that is also part of our yoga and daily life. In Europe and other countries, people want to become vegetarian. They have ideas and know many things: "This is Indian, and this is Indian." We begin to speak of vegans and ahiṃsā. Ahiṃsā means many, many things. Vegetarianism is like veganism but more... very straight and very spiritual. For example, they say it is because of the cows. These cows suffer from the process of making calves and then slaughtering the animals. They take so much milk away that the calf doesn't have enough to drink. So they decided not to take any more from the dairy—no milk, no butter, no yogurt, etc.—and to let the calf drink naturally. They made a great, great step. Really, many, many people are vegan; even on an aeroplane, you can ask for vegan food. Then, about honey. People make honey. The bees come and bring nectar, but then all the honey is taken away and they are given sugar water. That's why the bees suffer. They get ill because they don't like artificial sugar. Sugar is artificial, so the best is how the bees get it from all different kinds of plants. We take away the honey and eat it, and we give them sugar water. Also, many chemicals are used there. So vegans don't eat honey. Similarly, there are many things they are doing. There are millions of vegan people, and they are very humble people who respect the whole vegetation very much. That is coming again; the spirituality is there. It doesn't matter which religion you are from, but we should not take away the mother's milk. We should now take another step. They are going to take another step: we don't want to take little children, little babies, and after a few months give them to someone else to take care of because the mother has to go to work. So, they are making either the father or the mother stay at home, or having the mother work half a day and the father the other half. The idea is not to give the children to kindergarten. You know that when you send your child to kindergarten, after some days your children come back with another language, other behavior, and other things against the parents. That's not good. So children need parents, and that is very important. Otherwise, it's better not to have children. In your country, you have your good culture, your best language, and many, many good things here. So we shall turn back and come to ourself. Many people are running away from their country, thinking, "I want to go there, I will work there, I will study there." Why? It's good, we can go and see—why not? We can learn any language—why not? But we shall take care of our country, our land, our culture, and according to that, our very peaceful heart and very great things. Every country is a good country, but when other people come into a country, then different kinds of behaviors come. Of course, we don't want to refuse and not tell people not to come. They came to our country, and we are welcoming them. But don't give up your culture. When you go to other countries, I see many times, for example, Czech people in other countries, or Austrians, or Poles, etc. They go to other countries and then forget their language and don't feel their country. That is not good, so we should remember our country, our land, our cultures, our language—everything. We should keep it. We do not neglect other cultures; when we are there, we respect them very much. In that way, we humans will again come together. But what people were thinking in the last century is that we want to make all as one world. Of course, there is only one world—the whole globe—that's okay. But we have different feelings. We are born here and grown on this earth. So they were going away, taking people away, and now they have no culture. I don't know where what is. It should be that if you are Croatian, then you are Croatian. If you are Slovakian, you are Slovakian. If you are Slovenian, you are Slovenian. If you are Hungarian, you are Hungarian. If you are Czech, you are Czech. In Europe, there are many, many different kinds of cultures and languages. There are only one or two in India? In Europe, how different are the cultures and languages? They are beautiful countries, beautiful cultures. You see how many cultures, languages, how to call it—dancing, the instruments, many, many things. So there are things we can see either in India or Europe. Many went from Europe to other countries. America also came from Europe. Europe is also like England; maybe the British don't say Europe, but we are neighbors. This is how we are when we come here to our ashram, in this centre here in Strelka, the Mahāprabhujī Satsaṅg Foundation. We come here from different cities or countries, and we are learning from each other and getting good, positive, harmonious education here. I would say to you, not only for the seminars here, but you can come alone or with a few people for one weekend or one week. That time is more peaceful and very nice. So come, come here and meditate. There is nice walking. We have very nice hills here, a very nice forest, and you can walk along; it's very, very good air, a good atmosphere. This week we were here, and I did not even realize that one week is gone. I came from India, where I was for three months—or more than three months. Out of Europe, I was about, I think, seven months. I would have come back here long ago, but there was something different, so we learned a lot about this. We don't want such a thing, but in another way, we learned something. So we humans, we draw within ourselves to know what happened to us, what we humans are, what our family is. When you come home, definitely, for many days, you will dream: "How was it here?" And, of course, discipline. Yes, it's good discipline. You were very humble and very good, and you were very happy to help anybody. You had good discipline. You were very humble and helped each other. It's not like some hotel where people go quickly and close their door. We do not have a hotel; it is our home. We are very free; we are brothers and sisters. And everything is great. So you can come, you can dream, you can bring people from other countries, your countries. You can bring 20 people, you can bring 50 people, and you can walk here and there very nicely. They will be very happy. People think about who is taking care of our ashrams when we are coming only in summer or occasionally, sometimes for Christmas or some weekend, and then it is completely empty again. The best is that anytime you can come, bring your friends. Bring your yoga practitioners for the weekend. You can come for the weekend or for one day, just walking and coming here. We have very nice sāttvic food; they will give you nice food. You will have, like, pizza. People don't like pizza? But our pizza is very nice, and they are trying very hard to always give good nutrition. When you go home, take a few pizzas with you for your parents. We wish that you will come again quickly. Your families, your friends are waiting for you. People would like to come more, but now it is something that we are... maybe we are saying the best, best people we are bringing. So we center this, and this, and that. So you are the best ones. You were the first ones. Very good. But of course, we don't want you to stay here now; you go home so that your other friends or your guru brothers and sisters can come. This is very good. Thank you, and I'm very happy that you all came. I was in Om Ashram, or Jadan Ashram, for the first time for three and a half months. I was not there for so long before. When I'm in India, it's usually for one month, or half, three weeks, or one and a half months, but every sentence we have to go. In the beginning, when I came to Jadan this year, I was thinking, "Two weeks is okay, then I will go to Jaipur." But everything was cloaked. I said, "Oh, God." But then, slowly, slowly, I liked it. I began my yoga practice—Sarvahitāsana—for one and a half hours, and that made my health very good again, better. So I can tell you, the best remedy is yoga. Yoga is the science of humans. Many of us have lost it because in life we were eating different things, we did not practice yoga; sometimes football and jumping, and that's all. But yoga is a science of the body, a science of the mind, a science of spirituality, and a science of the best practices. Live very, very simply. So we should come to practice. Many people sitting here don't practice at home, and they have problems. Many people have problems. Still, our people have problems because they don't practice every day. So please take our Sarvahitāsana. Those who are younger can do other postures also, but Sarvahitāsana is for each and every part of the body—bones, muscles, nerves, glands, many things. In one and a half hours, everything is cleaned up. Every day, every time, when a helicopter takes people and lands again, there are different people cleaning, taking everything, and engineers checking each and every part. Until the engineers have not given the "yes," the pilot cannot fly. So, our practice, Sarvahitāsana, from our toes to the head in the morning, and from fingers to the chest, heart, and whole trunk of the body... I think try, try... it will be great. It doesn't matter if you are young or old. Those who cannot practice can sit on a chair. You can sit on a chair for one hour and practice, not repeating again and again. There are so many exercises for each and every part of the body. We go like this, then we do like this, then we are going there, and then we are doing like this. How many things? Ten, ten times. Only until we come to our hips, it is 45 minutes. We are sitting on the chair, so don't think, "I cannot practice." Yes, we can do many, many movements. Yoga practice is movements, but that kind of movement is to accept the body, the whole body, to accept the movements. Of course, when we are young, we eat a little more, and when we are old, we say, "I ate enough, so now I will eat a little." If you want to live long, then make your nourishment less and less, but good one in cares and practice. Then we will live long and healthy. I know that many doctors and many people are saying that since white sugar appeared, cancers are coming. There are many diseases, of course, not only because of sugar, but more is the sugar—white sugar. So we should have root sugars, cane sugar, and fruits. That is enough sugar in the food, but we like this sugar now. Sometimes I see my persons, my disciples, with a little cup of tea, and they take three to four cubes—the drips—and to this small teacup they add three to four big spoons of sugar. Then, of course, the dentist is happy. In dentist... You know, mostly when something is difficult, then your money goes to the dentist. So many, many things. So please, less sugar. Eat sweet, but not white sugar. Eat your fruits, everything. This is one thing, and there are many things like junk food, what we call. So, try to bring your health back to good. Practice at least one hour, one and a half hours. Get up one hour earlier; after five days, automatically your body will say, "Let's come and practice." You will wake up 100% and not be tired, and you will want to practice, yes. One day, I did not practice. I was feeling something: "What is happening with me?" So practice, practice, practice. All the best, and it was very nice to be with you. At home, you will have my programs, and if you have the time, you can listen. Even if you are at home, you will still be able to watch my program and listen to it. That's it.

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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