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Yoga is not complete without Guru

Yoga is now widespread, but a misconception has arisen that it is only āsanas and prāṇāyāma. In focusing solely on these, many have lost sight of their true purpose, practicing something akin to acrobatics instead. This acrobatic display is not yoga. True yoga connects body, mind, and spirit to the cosmic. Many pursue acrobatics, with their activity containing perhaps only 25% yoga. Yoga comes from the yogīs, and the yogī is Śiva. We must recognize the foundation brought by great sages. To engage in real yogic practice, you must have your master, your yogic guru. Some now reject gurus, becoming disconnected from right principles. Our "Yoga in Daily Life" system offers a complete path, encompassing deeper spiritual knowledge and the grace of the Guru. Sādhanā, or practice, is everything in life. When you practice sādhanā in everything, you will attain liberation. We need the Guru's grace to progress.

"Yoga is the science connecting the human being—body, mind, and spirit—to the cosmic."

"Sādhanā means practice—various kinds of practice. Preparing food, cleaning your room, washing clothes, gardening—all this is sādhanā."

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

Satya, Sanātana, Dharma kī Jai, Devadhī, Deva, Deveśvara, Mahādeva kī Jai, Alak, Puriṣa, Mahādeva kī Jai, Āradhī, Bhagavān, Śrīdīp, Nārāyaṇa, Mahāprabhujī kī Jai, Āradhī, Bhagavān, Śrī Madhvanānjī, Bhagavān, Gurudeva kī Jai. Good evening to all my dear sisters and brothers, to the yoga practitioners, the yogīs, and to all teachers and practitioners in ashrams and yoga centers. I wish you all well. Yoga is now widespread across the whole country and is very present in people's minds. Many may not practice, yet they hold the desire to do so. However, a misconception has arisen. People often think yoga is only āsanas and prāṇāyāma. In focusing solely on these, many have lost sight of what āsanas and prāṇāyāmas truly are. Consequently, something akin to acrobatics is being practiced. This acrobatic display is not āsana, Prakāśa. Many are torturing themselves with strenuous exercises, but that is not yoga. It is said that for true yogīs, the path is very different. Through dedicated sādhanā, they become yogīs. We have adapted and made yoga practice accessible to all people, which is good. Yet now, many are increasingly pursuing acrobatic practices, meaning their activity contains perhaps only 25% yoga; the rest is something else. Everyone is doing something, but remember: yoga comes from the yogīs, and the yogī is Śiva. You will not see Śiva performing acrobatics. In Western countries, many good yogīs brought authentic yoga. Unfortunately, some in India have adopted the acrobatic approach, each thinking, "I am better, I am good." This is not beneficial. Yoga has been given to all. Our Indian Prime Minister, Śrī Modījī, addressed the United Nations, advocating yoga for the whole world. He stated that yoga is the science connecting the human being—body, mind, and spirit—to the cosmic. Yet, merely speaking about it without practicing or gaining inner insight is insufficient. Some want only the name 'yoga', while others say, "We are not practicing as yogīs," and turn to other acrobatic practices. We must recognize the foundation. Great sādhus and sages, like Svāmī Śivānanda and many others, brought yoga from India. Now, its essence has been shifted and diluted in some aspects. In our "Yoga in Daily Life" system, which we share freely with the world via television, we offer a complete path. Many are practicing; there is nothing inherently wrong in what they do. The problem arises when everyone thinks, "I will be the best." That attitude is mistaken. When we speak of God, we refer to the One. If we take Śiva, all people worship, but the name is Śiva. Śiva has many names. You cannot say "only Śiva, nothing else." No, Śiva has countless names. That one light is also called Brahmā or Viṣṇu. All emanate from Śiva. In different ages, God has different names and forms. The name and the body must change because where there is negative and positive, spiritual and unspiritual, conflict arises. Therefore, Śiva re-manifests, balancing everything again, appearing as Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and others. They are all yogīs. It is said that when a yogī completes the path, they become the guru. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva—beyond them is the Guru. We must understand this unity. I have said often: on one street live many people, each with their own family. Everywhere there is a husband, wife, and children—boys and girls—yet all are one humanity. Of course, we want to have individual families. Similarly, to engage in real yogic practice, you must have your master, your yogic guru. Yet now some say, "No, we don't want the yogīs, we don't want the swāmīs, we don't want the gurus." This means those practicing yoga are becoming disconnected from the right principles, removing essential elements. There was a conference where someone declared that yogīs should not take money from anyone. Many who practice yoga do take money. The speaker said we should not give money. Yet, after the program finished, they were asking about yoga centers and their fees, listing their services and people. This is contradictory. I feel sorrow that people are not acting rightly. Some yogīs are very good and do accept money, but those yogīs—I mention no names—work extremely hard. They rise at three or four in the morning, practice for about two hours, and then spend another one to two hours serving others through yogic Āyurveda, medicines, and beneficial preparations. To sustain this work and provide these things, money is needed. These yogīs undergo government testing, receive offerings from people, and continue their service. There are many aspects to consider. For us, "Yoga in Daily Life" is a very good path practiced worldwide. It is not limited to āsana and prāṇāyāma but encompasses deeper spiritual knowledge and the grace of the Guru (Guru kṛpā). The guru teaches not only āsanas but many other techniques. There are many techniques and paths, but it should be a yogic path. We have written about sādhanā: what kind of practice we should do. This is beautiful. Sādhan cārā karo hari pīyārā. Do the sādhanā. Practice. "Sādhan cārā" refers to sādhanā. Karo hari pīyārā. Oh, my dears, if we are dear to God, He does not give us acrobatics. He gives life, a living presence within and beyond the body. As sung in the bhajan: "Sādhanā cārā karo hari..." Sādhana means practice—various kinds of practice. Preparing food, cleaning your room, washing clothes, gardening—all this is sādhanā. When we work in the garden, we need tools. That is also part of sādhanā. There are two aspects: the sādhanā we perform, and the techniques or means required to do it. Sādhanā encompasses many things. When you travel, you take items with you—medicine, a change of clothes—this too is sādhanā. So sādhanā is everything. Consider a young couple just married. They tell their parents, "We want a separate house." The parents reply, "We have rooms, a kitchen; we can be together." But the couple insists. The parents agree, and the couple rents a place. The parents ask what they need, offering help, but the couple says, "Don't talk to us." They enter their new home. There is a kitchen space but no equipment. How many glasses? How many pots? They buy these. Then they decide to make chapati. They have flour, but no salt. The wife tells her husband, "Go bring salt." Then they realize they need vegetables, spices. What spices? The girl may not know how to cook, and the husband doesn't know what to bring. "Quickly go, bring something!" Finally, they ask the father, "Please, can you help us?" "What do you need?" "I don't know what I need." You should have a sādhanā for your kitchen, for your house, for your friends. Everything is not so haphazard. That preparedness is called sādhanā. Even birds and animals have their sādhanā, storing food in the earth or a bush. Jīñcī hove mokṣa tumhārā. When you practice sādhanā in everything, then you will attain mokṣa, liberation. Now, I tell you that all our yoga teachers around the world should come to this path and practice "Yoga in Daily Life." Many other sādhus are also doing good work. Yet some learned people, professors, may say, "We have knowledge, but you are not a guru." You may have more intellectual knowledge than your guru, but the guru is still the guru. This is the nature of Kali Yuga. Some people even claim to not know any religions. In many Western and other countries, churches are being sold cheaply. The sellers stipulate the building should be used only for spiritual purposes—for Christians, Hindus, or others. But consider how few people go to church daily. Churches were built so people nearby could come for morning or evening prayer. Instead, many go elsewhere for drinking and dancing. Why not first go to the church to meditate or pray to Jesus? In India too, there are many temples, but now many are locked. This is Kali Yuga. That is why we need the Guru's grace. Without Guru Dev, we cannot progress toward the Cosmic. I will speak again tomorrow. I wish you all the best. Om Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī Jai, Devādhi Deva, Deveśvara Mahādeva Kī Jai, Alak Purī Śrīmad Deva Kī Jai, Ārādhi Bhagavān Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Mahāprabhujī Kī, Śiṣya, Satguru Svāmī Madhavānjī Kī Jai. Viśva Guru Mahāmaṇḍala Śvara Pramśī Svāmī Mārj Mañjhī Parācukuru Dev Namah Śivāya, Om Namah Śivāya, Namah Śivāya, Om Namah Śivāya, Har Har Bholi, Namah Śivāya, Namo Śivāya Om Namo Śivāya, Namo Śivāya Om Namo Śivāya. Har Har Bhole, Namo Śivāya, Hari Om.

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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