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The session commenced with sacred invocations: Hari Om Devadidev Deveśwar Mahādev Kī Jai, Devadidev Dīpeśwar Mahādev Kī Jai, Satguru Swāmī Madhavānandajī Bhagavān Kī Jai, Alakhpurījī Mahādev Kī Jai, Satya Sanātana Dharma Kī Jai, Bhagavān Gajarānandajī Mahārāj Kī Jai. Today is the day dedicated to Bhagavān Gaṇeśa. Let us first offer a prayer to Śrī Gaṇeśajī, followed by our Guru prayer. The sun is already setting, more or less. Dr. Shanti has kindly agreed to lead the Gaṇeśajī prayer. If you know it, please sing along; otherwise, simply fold your hands and meditate upon Bhagavān Śrī Gaṇeśajī. Throughout the world today, pūjā is being performed for Śrī Gaṇeśa Jī. The highest god is Gaṇeśa Jī. There are countless stories about Gaṇeśajī’s wisdom. We can learn so much from him—he is profoundly humble and kind. In every household, when we build a house, the very first step is laying the foundation—the ground-breaking ceremony—and there, Gaṇeśajī is present. Whether it is a building, a house, or a single room, we dedicate the initial space to Gaṇeśajī. The foremost place is at the entrance. As we enter our home, our eyes naturally fall upon Gaṇeśajī. Some people install a statue, others place a picture, and some write the syllable Oṁ and the svastika, which is a symbol of Bhagavān Gaṇeśajī. If you neglect this, you may find that the house is often troubled by problems, conflicts, and disharmony. Upon entering, again there is Gaṇeśajī. It matters little if he is not inside; what is important is that the very first thing we see when arriving is Gaṇeśajī. Whether we consciously believe or not, even if we do not fully understand, Gaṇeśa Jī automatically bestows blessings. He is always worshipped first. When you depart, Gaṇeśa Jī. There are many sacred places of Gaṇeśa Jī. He resides also in the Mūlādhāra Cakra; indeed, below the Mūlādhāra there is Gaṇeśajī. What does that mean? Many do not grasp it. It signifies that the entire foundation is Gaṇeśajī. And Gaṇeśajī is very humble, very kind. So today is this auspicious day of Gaṇeśajī. His story is vast. He was born from Pārvatī, but there is a long tale that I have not come to narrate now. Even Śiva was bewildered. And what happened? We shall tell you this story—why Gaṇeśa has an elephant head. But let us first chant Śrī Gaṇeśajī’s prayer. A call was made for incense and a lamp. Then the prayer was sung: first the Ganeśī Dohā from Holy Gurujī, and another as well. Śrī Gaṇeśa, Śrī Gaṇeśa… Śrī Gaṇeśa Devadideva, Devaīśvara, Mahādevakī, Saradeva, Bhagavān, Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa, Mahāprabhujī, Satguru Svāmī, Mādhavānandajī, Bhagavānakī, Sabṛṣi, Muni, Mahātmā, Kī Jaya. Then followed a series of sacred utterances, perhaps a Guru mūrti mantra: Satguru samdhani sab jagam anganaha sabhi khara Ramakrishna se kaun vade ushne bhi gurukin tina log Satguru puran brahma he joveshwaranarvani cha jahe na ye tanvesh ki velari guruyam vrataki ka shishye Satguru nila Guru Sākta Śrī Dhyāna Mūla Guru Mūrti Mantra Paramparā Dīpam Sarveho Dīpan Sajate Sarvam Sandhyam Sarvaśatya Om Namo Śrī Api Śāstrī, Apo Gyānī, Apo Gyānī, Apo Yogarāj, Apo Yaśrī, Śrī Alakh Purī Jī Mahādeva. Śrī Dīpna Bhagavān, Kī Jai, Deveśvara Mahādeva, Kī Jai, Alakhpurīṣa Mahādeva, Kī Jai, Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandajī Bhagavān, Kī Jai, Viśvaguru, Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara, Paramātmā Svāmī, Śrī Maheśvarānanda Purī Jī, Kī Jai. Swamiji’s words are very kind. Swamijī is the embodiment of mercy. And He is always helping us to become better than we are. Of course, Swamijī sees our essence, which is ātmā. But He assists us as individuals, as personalities, to evolve. When Swamījī speaks about his disciples, he highlights their noble qualities. It is up to each disciple to be aware of those aspects that need improvement. I must confess that I am aware of many areas I have to work on throughout my life. And it is Swāmījī’s immense greatness that each of us is helped to become a real human being—that is, a being endowed with both human and divine qualities. So it is Swāmījī’s greatness that he helps each of us to become great, to become the true person, the person who possesses human and divine virtues. Swamiji mentioned that I am from the Czech Republic. I am grateful that I could be born there and grow up there, because this region of Central Europe is very conducive to the development of spirituality. However, my personal wish is that I do not see myself as coming from there, but rather as being from the Siddha Pīṭha Paramparā. It is important for everyone what you identify with, what you consider a part of yourself. In theory, we know we are ātmā; we have been taught this, we have learned this many times. But until we truly realize it, yoga respects the duality. So we naturally see ourselves as our body, as our social relationships, as our property, and so forth. If I could choose freely, I would choose that in this life I realize the teaching of Alakh Purījī, the Śrī Ādīp Pīṭh Paramparā, and attain that realization in this very lifetime. Swamiji has mentioned that we are helping in Omāśram, but in fact it is a great opportunity for us that we can be there and serve. Without Swamijī, there is no Om Āśram. Yet in the world, there are millions of people who could be a part of this. Thousands of us have this privilege. Of course, people often ask when Omāśram will be finished, when it will be completed. I would say only God knows; in our context, only Viśvagurujī knows, because it is in his hands. We can imagine it will be a grand event, and perhaps it will be announced in advance. One day, Om Āśram will be truly magnificent, far greater than just the physical structure. It is not certain that we will be able to see it; we may not fully realize its greatness. Perhaps it is not for us, perhaps not for our generation, but the building itself will endure for ages. So it is our great opportunity to take part during these few years of its construction. Architecturally, it is a pearl, a jewel. But far more important is what the mission means—what Omaśram represents. The future will bring the answer; for now, we can only wonder. However, there is a certain indication in Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras. Thanks to Viśvagurujī, we have studied the Yoga Sūtras many times. It is essentially a manual or guidelines for yoga. It is the science of how to achieve self-realization, how to realize the ātmā through yoga. A very significant moment is when Patañjali, dealing with a yoga that was previously atheistic, introduced God, the Divine. Patañjali speaks of Īśvara Praṇidhāna—surrender to God. In our words, we would call this bhakti. He mentions Īśvara Praṇidhāna in three different places in the Yoga Sūtra, indicating it is a very important point. In short, it means that devotion to God, surrender to God, is a kind of shortcut on the path to God. When Patañjali speaks about God, about Īśvara, he means what we call Paramātmā or Parabrahman—the Supreme. But how can an ordinary person, who lacks the qualities of a great yogī, approach God who is formless? Patañjali offered a novel idea: the yoga aspirant should practice mantra japa on Oṃ. He explains that Oṁ has always signified God or the Divine. In this creation, in all previous creations, and in future creations, Om is ever divine. It is not simply a cultural convention that we happen to call God “Oṃ.” We can agree that this object is called a microphone, but we could just as well use “car” or “truck”; we cannot arbitrarily choose any word because it is a matter of culture. But all the ṛṣis, all the saints, realized in their meditation that God is truly Oṃ. Therefore, all traditions that lead to God keep Om at the beginning of their essential mantras: Om Namaḥ Śivāya, Om Namaḥ Vāsudevāya, Om Namaḥ Nārāyaṇāya, and so on. So those are the mantras we have, commencing with Oṃ. Thus, Om is truly an optical and sound form of God—a visible and audible form. An analogy is also used: take an iron ball and put it in the fire. Patañjali refers to another image: when you take an iron ball and place it in fire, the iron ball becomes penetrated with the qualities of fire, though it retains the form of a ball. In the same way, Aum is what we can hear and see, but its inner quality is divine; it is God itself. So if you practice the mantra “Aum” with devotion—it must be emphasized, devotion—it leads to the realization of the Divine, to the experience of God. This brings us back to the question: what is Omaśram? What is Omaśram going to be? It is going to be a physical form of the Divine, of God, in this world. Thus, we have a great opportunity: all of us, ten thousand of Swāmījī’s students, share in it. Thousands and thousands, tens of thousands of Swāmījī’s disciples can be part of this. Some come for Karma Yoga, some live there for longer periods, but we all contribute—through donations, through our thoughts and support. And as Swāmījī mercifully says, “I couldn’t build it without you, without all of you.” This truly means that all of us are equally the same; there is no difference. For all of us, it is tapobhūmi, because to contribute we must renounce something. It is our sādhanā, our anuṣṭhāna. In a way, we can be happy that it has taken such a long time, because it gives a meaningful aim to our lives. So let us be grateful and thankful to Viśvagurujī for this unity. When it is completed, we as disciples will have developed further in our consciousness. Alakhpurījī, Siddha Pīṭha Paramparā, Kī Jaya, Viśvaguru, Mahāmaṇḍaleśvarānanda, Paramaṃsa, Śrī Maheśvarānanda Purījī, Yogīrāja, Kī Jaya. Do you have any questions? Now you will dwell on this all night long. And then we will speak with him again. He works very hard, sometimes day and night—he and Yogesh also. Śrī Śrī… Puri, and one is the Mantra Purī, so there are sādhus here, very humble in everything. Thank you very much, and today’s lecture is finished.