TV Channel

Blessings to all dear sisters, brothers, yogīs, yoga practitioners, and all including myself. We pray to the Gurudev: Guru Kṛpāhi Kevalam. This tradition (paramparā) comes from the yugas and yugas. Everyone always takes time to worship and offer prayers. We live and remain sustained by the grace of great saints, gods, prayers, temples, and churches. It is said that from the very beginning, we are always living from that. We are always praying to our mother, father, friends, and religions. Everywhere in the world, people say "Good morning" in their own language, or we say "Namaste." Why? Because this tradition was given to us by Śiva, Brahmā, and Viṣṇu. All goddesses like Gaṇeśjī, Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī, Brahmā, and Viṣṇu gave us this prayer. So it does not matter where you are; you should pray. There are different times for prayer. In the morning, after washing, we pray. In the evening after sunset, we pray according to our guru, traditions, and religions. Many pray three times a day, like in Islam, where they pray at least three times: morning, noon, and evening. It does not matter if you see a statue or not, for we are seeing the Supreme, the Highest. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna discussed this. Arjuna asked Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa what is better: worship of the physical form, like statues, or worship of the formless (Nirākāra)—with no person, devotees, statues, churches, or temples? What is good formless worship? Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna that both are good, but while we are in this world, we need all these objects: water, food, air, warmth, etc. Therefore, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says both are good, but it is easier for us to see with the eyes and listen with the ears; perceiving everything that way is also better. There is a prayer. First, we worship mother and father. We should respect them our whole lives, for as long as our parents live. Respect is a form of worship. In the morning, we say to mother and father, "Good morning. Suprātri. Suprabhāt." In this way, we give respect to the elderly. We are already receiving the light, energy, and blessing of the Supreme. After that, we greet our elder brothers, sisters, and parents. We say "Praṇām" or "Namaste" first. They respond, "Bless you." Even neighbors, when we say "Namaste," will say, "Bless you," or "Long life," or "Have a happy time." This means we are giving and receiving blessings. That is very, very important. Then comes our teacher—anyone who teaches us anything, even how to play football. That is your teacher, your master. We say to them, "Good morning." Our schoolmaster, college principals, and university professors are also our gurus, and we should respect them. We say "Namaste," and they say, "Bless you, be healthy, be good, have good learning." They always give us such a blessing. Whether you believe it or not, my friends, a good word is beneficial for our whole body, health, feelings, and knowledge. This comes from God, from the Supreme, to manifest in this world. You know that even animals take care of their children and give a blessing. If you are a yogī, and you have understood and realized, then animals will also look to you. There was a man from the church in San Francisco to whom birds would come. He lived with the birds and other animals as a family. The difference is in the humans. That man in San Francisco was singing. Someone said, "Day by day, stone by stone," he built his temple. Everyone can be like this. But how can we make our prayers and thinking clean? Then they all will be with us. This is the first step for humans, especially the first step toward our Cosmic Self. We read in holy books in church: "Do not cause any trouble to others." This is again the way. Then comes the guru, satsaṅg, guru. So first is mother and father, then friends, then teachers, and then our spiritual master, whom we call guru. Guru Brahmā, Guru Viṣṇu, Guru Deva Maheśvara, Guru Śakti, Śakti Parabrahma, Tasmai Śrī Guruve Namaha. Therefore, it is said: "Guru is Brahmā, Guru is Viṣṇu, Guru is Deva Maheśvara, and Guru is everything." In that way, we have two Gurus: one Guru as a statue or a picture, or the name of that; and a living master, a living guru, a living God. We should respect that and learn from it. Similarly, God gives to us like this. Immediately, if you accept and understand it, then happiness fills your whole body. When a little child is crying and the parents come, how happy is the child? And you know, when we feed our animals from a distance—dogs, cows, elephants, sheep—they run toward the Master who is feeding them. That is love. Even birds, when we feed them, they wait, fly close, dance, and fly from branch to branch. They know they are going to be fed. Yes, my dear. Every jīva, every creature, wants to respect and give something and would like to receive something. That is yoga. In this yoga, you are not taking something from them; we only give. The master, the guru, gives us all blessings, everything. There are many different kinds of yogīs and different kinds of yoga. We should live in that way. Time is going. We know it’s a very long day. I was waiting so long for the train or the bus, only for 10 minutes less, and we become unhappy and angry. But you know how time is going; each and every second, even one second, is too much. It will not wait, and the soul will go out. Therefore, whatever we can do, we must do something. We can make our life very little. Some are living, but not so comfortably. That is our mistake. It comes from purification in the body, outside the body, in the brain, in the thoughts—many, many things. Therefore, it is a very nice bhajan, many good bhajans: "O Gurudev, I want to go with you. Let me come to this heaven. My God, bless me." So yoga, everything is yoga. You know that all yogīs, all saints. And you know that Jesus was in India? I don’t know, but in a German book, it is very nicely written where Jesus was. In two places, it is written on stone about Jesus. There he also learned many things. He practiced yoga and prāṇa very much. Why am I talking about Jesus? Because, my dears, I am in your beautiful country, where Jesus is mostly revered, and therefore I adore Jesus. I respect him, and I am very happy that you are all doing spiritual practice, and in any other religion, there are very great, joyous people. You know how much love they have for God—very, very much. Similarly, in other countries, my dear, we are human. We know, and our parents and ancestors know. They have given us this, and so we shall follow this path. You know that even animals you see on the road, on the highways—the paths of the deer—they always go to the same place. That’s why in many countries we write, "Please be careful, animals are crossing." Also, animals and birds, when it is very cold, go south to where it is warm and nice. When it becomes very hot there, they come back here. So they know everything. Oh man, we shall become that kind of yogī, so we can live life in that way—not taking too much philosophy. Okay, philosophy is also good, but practically, we need to have it. What does yoga mean in daily life? There are three words. The first is yoga. What do you call this? Yoga in daily life. Yoga, every day, practice. That’s all. That will give our life longevity. It will be healthy and very happy. You will feel very comfortable and enjoy long life. Therefore, yoga is given by Śiva. Śiva itself first brought yoga. So, my dear, practice, practice, practice. Next, tomorrow, I will give you a further lecture on sādhanā, prāṇāyāma, praṇām, and our practice. Satguru, that is the Satguru. So we will make practice. We will do another practice. Our bhaktas, our children, say, "I want to go to satsaṅg." Many children ask, "We want to go to satsaṅg." Little children do not know what that is, but it is in their consciousness. They tell their parents. These satsaṅg have different names, that’s all. All the best. Siddhip Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī, Dev Puruṣa Mahādeva Kī, Sadguru Svāmī Madhavānandjī Bhagavān Kī, Haradī Bhagavān Siddhip Nārāyaṇ Mahāprabhujī Kī, Sathya Sanātan Dharma Kī. Kī Om Namaḥ Śrī Prabhupāda Om Namaḥ Śrī Prabhu Dīpa Nārāyaṇam.