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Dev Puruṣa Mahādeva kī Jai, Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandajī Bhagavān, Alak Puruṣa Mahādeva kī Jai, Satya Sanātana Dharma kī Jai, Om Śānti, Śānti, Śānti. How was this day? Very good. How was it in our practices this morning? I understand. And after, before lunch, how was that? Yes, after lunch. It is very good, and now again with your breakfast. So, is it dinner? And again, we’ll give you some exercises. Good evening. All our dear sisters and brothers, yoga and daily life. We have this, our yoga and daily life, everywhere in the world. It is not only exercises, but exercises of some deep kind, mentally. Many are practicing, but there is something in between. And I do not know if they are doing it or not. When I was there before, about 60 years ago, at that time, yoga was very pure, spiritual, healthy, etc. Yoga was then very spiritual, pure, and so on. And all yogīs, sādhus, and other people were filled with yoga. They were like great saints. It doesn’t matter, male or female. All were doing such a great sādhanā. And sādhanā means this is very good qualities. That we do good things. We have so many sannyāsīs, females. Some were with sannyāsa, this color, like we have, our Swāmīs. Others may be with white dress, or some different way. But anywhere they were coming, in the village, all people would come and call them and make satsaṅg: "Please stay in the village, give us satsaṅg." So it was very great. And now also in our, it is male or female. Also, you know that Jainas, we are all more or less the same. Sannyāsa or making trust, and also Buddha. Buddha was also his father, a great king, and so they were the Hindus. All Buddha means buddhi. Buddhi means knowledge. Buddha, that is actually the meaning of Buddha, knowledge. Very great thinking. Know everything. Vedieť všetko. So that’s called buddhi. And then we said buddha. And that was then the Buddha. So that name has come, Buddha. Otherwise, his kingdom, his son, that was, what was the name? Siddhārtha. The kingdom was big, and the son of the king was called Siddhartha. Siddhārtha is also a very good name. Everything is clear, straight, everything. And you know, the Buddha was going, even he did not stay on the step on the little end. No eating any animals, nothing. And similarly, that time was the Jainas. And they were living many in the forest only. And they did not use the shoes, and still now they don’t have the shoes. And when the sun setting time, they will stay where it is; they will not go anywhere else. If someone has, like, an open ashram, then they go there, or some people they will give one room, house, then nobody. It should be there, and then for two days. They stay there then. And after sunset, no eating and no drinking water, anything. And when they go, they do not take any kind of vehicle. So in the morning, they get up early. And they know that tomorrow we will go where, and there. So they go to the other place where they should be. They are not cooking. They are not making any food. Water is also not. So people bring the water, which is clean, very good, filtered with cloth, two, three cloths. That in the water, no creatures are. And that water they have, and if someone cooks food for them, then they bring it home to their ashram. Or those who are the Jainas, now, what you call, they will cook for them. So the concentration, the spirituality, the clarity, the peace, this is Jainism. And when they go, they have one, always one, I think, one pot. Some is from the pot, from the grass, not grass, the wood. And also the plate for eating from, not only from the wood, and they have very nice, fine, very light, very light, one part from the wood, and so that somewhere give them how to make this, and it is very, very nice. They clean themselves, and they will not stay more than one or two days in one night. Go from one village to another village, to another village. And then, for four months, they will not go anywhere; they will stay in one place. It is said that when the monsoon comes, then they will not go anywhere. They don’t go through rivers, in some lakes, not outside. And in this time, after this, no more eating, because there are many creatures. And no light, like oil or ghee, this light, but they will not do it because when the flame is there, then many little creatures come, and it is a sin. And they will not have any shoes or anything from the animal’s skins. And they will not sleep on the bed, on the one floor. It depends on where there is very much rain, but they will sleep on the wooden plate. And they are meditation, and they are studying very much. And very strict, everybody is in their life. And they are still here, and many are giving the lectures, and there is one that is not having any cloth, no cloth at all, and not sleeping on any cloth or anything. And dry grass, there they will sleep. Or just on the earth, there are still many. And they don’t take anything from anyone. Bikṣā, it is called Bikṣā. So then the Jaina people, they are running, they are waiting. When they come, we will give them. It’s great. And in some, they said, when very, very old, then one will say, "Now I will give my life." And at that time, they will perform some ceremonies. And they are all many, his Jainas, they are with him. They are meditating and reading holy books. And they have their own rules, I don’t know, I was not there. But then, no eating and no drinking. And when once I asked, "I will now drink water," they said, "This water is not anymore pure." In God, or wherever it is, there is pure water, like an ocean. Little angry, or drink, eat something. No, no. Everything, the best of the best food is there when you go. When one day someone comes to that, we will tell them what it means. He is very strict, very distinct, very clear, and even sometimes they were not washing, because they did not want water, water and animals inside or something. Just on the earth. But now they are a little different. The cloth was cleaned, and they also wash the body every day. That is beautiful, and they are mostly called the Jainas, and they are business people. So they are still there, and some, their master, they also one nearby Mahāprabhujī’s village. And there is one Jaina, he was very nice with Mahāprabhujī’s holy Gurujī’s. Tento Jain bol velmi dobrý, poznal se s Mahāprabhujim, s Gurujī. And many times I was in Khatu, Chhoṭī Khatu. Já jsem byl velakrát v Chhotī Khāṭū. And the Jains, sometimes they don’t go anywhere, the Jainas, but they tell, "Please come to us." Speaking nicely, they don’t touch anyone, each other, and only with them. If it isn’t from cotton, play praṇām, apa, what we call our āsana. And there, one Swāmījī, the Jainist, whenever I come to India, he was sending messages that, "Please tell them I am there and there, please come." And see me, I want to see you. And he was a little older than Holī Gurujī. And he was telling me now that Holī Gurujī passed away, but after this, Jaina also passed away. It’s been about 8 years since he died. He died when he was about 8 years old. And whenever we were together, we would sit down and talk. And he always told me, "Now that Gurujī has left, it is very important, your work here for India, already there. Forget about Europe and work here, now in India, it is very important." Really, every time we were together, he told me this. And his guru, also Jaina, and I have seen also. And just as I became a sannyāsī, so even though I had no mustache, I did not need to have one, and so I came. They were very much, they gave me so much love, so much, very nice. And Holi Gurujī was with. Even still, now they do not go with the vehicle. They are walking. Get up early in the morning, and they can go there until it gets very hot, then it’s finished. So they are coming, many in our ashram in Jardin. They want to stay there for one night. So we have over here Nirañjan Purī. And he knows that, yes. They are loud, and they always stayed in the White House. And their guru, he was not sleeping in the rooms. So they are still there, very good. And they are still here, which is very good; they have many temples. Similarly, also the Buddha. And Buddha was, of course, his father was what you call the emperor. But he gave up everything, and so, Buddha means the knowledge has been God. Buddha. Buddha. Buddha means knowledge, all knowledge from past, present, and future. And he said, "From the stones, from the stones, till all metals and all creatures," how he said, "In my meditation, I everything learned," so it is. And then they were moved somehow in a different way. So the Buddha did not know. He did not know here, neither there, nor there. And so there was a... they separated. So there were Jainas, Buddhas, and first before was Sanātana. So, this is a spiritual people, but they are saying this is right, and others say this is right, and this is right. Then, very great was Śaṅkarācārya, and then Śaṅkarācārya again brought his Sanātana. And from the Śaṅkarācāryas, they said, "Do not go with the ocean, outside of the ocean." And Śaṅkarācārya was the one who said, "Do not go through the rivers." And there are different kinds; some should be in the forest, some in the cities, some on there. All the Śaṅkarācāryas still now, and from that, we are also from the Śaṅkarācāryas. So there are people that, in Satche, are very great, very spiritual, and they were not touching any animals to kill, and these also they didn’t want to make the trees down, cut down. No, they always try to hold it, boy, to film it, to home new Lydia only. She, what is at the house we are at? And so the Vedas came, and the day before yesterday, someone was reading this about the Nālandā University and how many books and how many they were. So there also, that was the Śaṅkarācārya’s path, Śaṅkarācārya’s. Did I tell you here or not? You did not? So, maybe since here the Pushpa is our Pushpa here? Can you stand up with your telephone? And I think you should know this, so that from the Himalayas and all these parts, there was a great, very great spiritual peace and harmony, and for all creatures we should live, not kill or do anything. From the Himalayas comes out the very strong spirituality, purity, which then spreads to the world and teaches us not to kill animals. Everyone knows that it is a truth, and it is many things. She will tell herself, and perhaps she will also tell after some. So, please, like this, yeah, and give the part of India, tell something about India, and this and that. Yeah, anything. So we were talking a few days ago, or Swāmījī was talking about this great university in India and how many... The first university in the world. It was, yes, there was a second oldest university in India. The first one was in Takshila, it’s also Indian, in the end, but the second one was called Nalanda University, and it was most popular because of the library that was there. It was this ancient center of higher learning, located in Bihar in the ancient kingdom of Magadha, spread over an area of 14 hectares, and it was the principal seat of learning from the last century, even before its... There are some who are saying that it was 2,100 years old, but there is some proof that it existed since the period beyond 1200 before Christ. That all university, this center had 8 separate compounds, 10 temples, meditation halls, classrooms, lakes, and parks. Okay, I can translate, no problem. It had a nine-story library where monks meticulously copied books and documents so that individual scholars could have their own collections. It had dormitories for students, perhaps a first for an educational institution, housing 10,000 students in the university’s heyday and providing accommodations for 2,000 professors. Nalanda University attracted pupils and scholars from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia, and Turkey. So this university attracted students from Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia, and Turkey. Nalanda University was ransacked and destroyed by Turkish Muslim invaders, also called Mamluks, in the year 1193. The great library of Nalanda University was so vast that it is reported to have housed more than nine million manuscripts. According to traditional Tibetan sources, the library of Nalanda University was spread over three large, multi-storeyed buildings. One of these buildings had nine stories that housed the most sacred manuscripts. The library burned for three months after the invaders set fire to the buildings. The Muslim invaders ransacked and destroyed the monasteries and drove the monks from the site. The Nalanda University was attacked and destroyed by Turkish Muslims in 1193. This huge library had nine million manuscripts in it. According to the Tibetan sources, the library was divided into three many-storey buildings. From which one had nine floors, and in that were the most sacred manuscripts. The library was burned, and it is said that it burned for three whole months after it was set ablaze. So the Muslim refugees destroyed the monasteries and banished all the monks from the university. There is also a reason why the Turkish ruler attacked this university. Somebody has the knowledge that he doesn’t have. That’s why he attacked the university and destroyed all the knowledge. It also says there why the Turkish emperor attacked the university. It was because he had a health problem that his doctors in his kingdom couldn’t solve, and in the end, he was treated. I can send you the link if you are interested. It is from the source of My India, My Glory. And there is this article that is stating more of the really historical sources, so it’s really, how to say, it’s from a good source. So, as a very, you want to say, something, yes, give him point with both. English and Czechoslovakians, and if it’s Hindi also, a little back from where the Holy Ghost is. Pushpa just spoke very nicely about this highest university knowledge of ancient India. Would you like to translate? Pushpa spoke beautifully about the ancient Indian university. And this is definitely a very great treasure of the Indian culture, which unfortunately did not reach the present times, which is a great pity for the present world. But these universities, they were located in a few places of India. They were the centers of the teaching. But what was widespread, what was all over the Indian culture, not only India as we know it today, that was the Gurukul system. Because in nearly every village there was a Gurukul. Gurukul means the... What means the Gurukul? Many years ago, you know, in Jardin we had a Gurukul, and we had these students who wore the yellow kurta and white dhoti. And always when they come to the Bhakti Sāgara and have satsaṅg, then Swāmījī would talk to them. Swāmījī would be very, very close to them, like to his own children. And when they come to Bhaktisāgar, Swāmījī always tells them something, and they are very close to him; they are like his children. Guru is that, the disciple and the guru. So, who is teaching us? So, guru and kula means we can live there as a school, college. Guru Kul is actually Guru; he is the one who teaches us, and Kul is the place where we can stay and learn. So, place for learning. So now Swamiji told us the definition. What does it mean? And once he came to the Bhaktisāgar and was asking those students, "So what is it, Guru Kula?" And they were bringing different suggestions, and Swamiji was not very happy with that. And the closest was, they remembered from Mahābhārata, Kulguru. So that’s just the words around, but the meaning is the same. KUL is a family, and GURU is the teacher, the master. I, at that time, went to the internet and was searching, "What is the definition of Gurukul?" And there was written, it’s a residential school where the disciples live together with their spiritual master, and they receive from the master the spiritual and the secular knowledge, and they help their master in his mission. They help him to run the school, and to support his mission outside of the school. Small funny note, I did not understand properly English. What does it mean, "residential"? So I was thinking it means something modern, so I was expecting, you know, the school from the concrete, glass, steel. ten, ktorý guru Vaśiṣṭha na rive Béa, pár tisíc let tomu. And then I remember that more years ago, before that, Swāmījī gave me himself the definition, what is it, Guru Kula. When I came to Jadana Ashram, I was working in the kitchen. In the morning, we were preparing the classical Indian chai, the neem tea, and the gurukul chai. Once Swamiji came for breakfast time to the kitchen area, and he asked for chai. And I was very inexperienced, and I was telling to Swamiji, "We have a neem tea, we have an Indian tea which is not very healthy, and we have the Gurukul tea, that’s a mixture of Himalayan herbs cooked with the milk," and I could not finish. Because Gurudev was looking at me like when a naughty boy does something wrong, and Swamiji said that important definition, "I am myself Gurukul, bring me normal tea." And so that’s it. What is it, Gurukul? This here, this is a Gurukul. This is also Gurukul. This is everything Gurukul, yes. So you are now in Guru Kula. Perhaps the setting is different. It looks different than 2,000 or 3,000 years ago. But the principle is the same. Master is at his āsana. Disciples are around. Let’s say we are 200 years, and then another few thousand people are out there watching the webcast. And so, this whole globe is our residential place. And how we support the Swāmījī’s mission, how we work for the yogī’s life. That’s fulfilling the definition: the disciples get the knowledge from the master, and they support the master’s mission throughout his life. This is what makes a difference in the quality between the system of yoga and daily life, and so many other yoga schools in this. Especially in the Western world, because we have the spiritual background, it is not only about the āsanas and prāṇāyāmas, although it is a very important part. But the foundation is something else, the foundation is the Master. And just we should realize when we come here, how we feel here, what we experience here in the ashram, what we experience in the presence of Gurudev. And then ask your friends who go to practice yoga at some fitness center or yoga studio. Do they experience the same? Do they feel the bliss and bhakti? And that’s the great treasure which we get, and which you can get only in Gurukul. And although we often experience these higher, uplifted states only in the presence of Gurudeva, it is a very important mark for us that it exists, that it is real, that it is realistic for us. And if we continue on the path of yoga, if we follow the system, one day we can reach there, what we experience now only through the presence of Gurudev. So it is like if you have, in sport or in business, a certain aim, and you have hard training to reach the goal. But, you know, the business and sport, they are from this world. They are the saṃsāric disciplines. And spirituality is something that is beyond this world. So, through this experience of being in the presence of Gurudev and being in the Gurukul, being in the ashram, we come in touch with something that we otherwise cannot perceive with our senses. So it is on us to realize the gratefulness that we are blessed with this opportunity. And to take the decision or to analyze that this is the right path. And then it is a matter of time until we reach. But it’s not only about the goal, because spirituality is going forward step by step. It is said it is a ladder on which you cannot skip the next step, the next rung. But with each of these steps climbed, there is less suffering, more sattva, more bliss, higher consciousness, and broader understanding. So as much as we stay on the spiritual path, we are successful every day. It is not only that we have to become self-realized, and until then our life is meaningless. Every day is useful. Every day is very valuable. Just we should be aware of what is our dharma, what is our path. What is the basis of the pure life? It is an ethical life, a life which is helping others and which is not harming anybody. Be grateful that we have this path, and be just an example for the others who perhaps suffer more, but it is not on us to judge the other people. Because we don’t know what their past is. We don’t know which karmas, which saṃskāras they have in them. Which led them to the level of ignorance in which they are living now. So if we face some negativity, something bad, some violence, if we can help to stop it, yeah, that’s good, let’s do it. But if we can’t, then just stay neutral towards that. We should not be negative, to give a negative response, because then... That negativity then destroys our own spirituality. Rishi Patañjali explains in the Yoga Sūtras that towards those who are happy, we should be happy with them. Those who are virtuous, who have some extra capabilities, we should admire them, we should respect them because they achieved something that is admirable. Those who are miserable, who live in poverty, or who are miserable by their psychology, we should be compassionate towards them. And those who are negative, who are mean to others, who are harming, we should stay neutral. We should not be negative towards them. Because that negativity then brings more negativity into the world, and it lowers our own spirituality. So that’s the message of ancient India. That is what was everywhere, what was widespread throughout the few thousands of years of Vedic culture. But that would not happen without this Gurukul system. So I think that we are very lucky and blessed that we have this opportunity in this life. And I believe that, in the name of all the few thousands of us who are now connected, we can say our gratefulness to our Gurudev, our Master. And I think that, in the name of thousands of us who are watching this right now and have the opportunity, I would like to thank him. Our name is Swami Jimu for this opportunity, for this great beauty. Each other.