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Respect the life of other creatures

A satsang discourse on compassion, non-violence, and spiritual practice.

"All who are sitting with us are already in satsaṅg. 'Sat' is truth, peace, harmony, goodness—everything."

"Jīva jīva bhakṣate. Every animal eats animals, but we humans should not."

The lecturer addresses the gathering, explaining the essence of satsang as communion in truth. He uses metaphors of a ship and an airplane to illustrate the unity of all life, emphasizing that the soul (ātmā) is in every creature. The core teaching is a call for ahimsa (non-violence), urging humans to not kill other beings for food, contrasting human potential with animal nature. He discusses the challenges of Kali Yuga, advises against alcohol misuse, and clarifies protocols for offering garlands to guru photographs.

Filming location: Salzburg, Austria

Oṁ Hamsabdhasprabhu śaraṇaparāyaṇam Kaum Nambosiri Prabhudeepa Nārāyaṇa Osiri Prabhudeepa Śrī Deep Nārāyaṇa Bhagavānakī Devādhi Dev Dev Purīṣa Mahādeva Satguru Swāmī Madhavānajī Bhagavānakī Adhak Purījī Mahādeva Satya Sanātan Dharma Mat Pitā Gurudevakī Oṁ Śānti, Śānti, Śānti. Good evening to all our sisters, brothers, and little children. We are gathered here in the divine. This hall, and all that is here, constitutes Satsaṅg. 'Sat' means the truth. Satsaṅg is very good. 'Saṅgha' means together; even when two are sitting, it is a saṅgha. So all who are sitting with us are already in satsaṅg. Satsaṅg. 'Sat' is truth, peace, harmony, goodness—everything. We live with that. When we come from what we call satsaṅg, yoga, or practice, we come as if we are like gods. It comes automatically, leading us to God. But God is not only that. All of you, even if you have animals with you—cat, dog, scorpion, many others—they are all living beings within. For example, consider the ocean. We are sailing upon it in a beautiful vessel, a jahāj. In this jahāj upon the ocean, there are many people, some animals, birds sitting there, and so on. All are in one jahāj. God knows, we know, all is in the One. So all is in one. Not only humans; other creatures are there too. If our jahāj sinks deep into the ocean, all will die together—not only humans, but all. So every creature knows, and this life is God's. The difference lies in the human body, the animal body, and so forth. But the soul, the ātmā, is for all. If some other animal is killing, that is also not good. We must love, respect, and protect everyone. Similarly, consider not only a jahāj but an aeroplane. An aeroplane is very big now, however big and heavy it may be. The Captain sits there. He knows what is in front of him; he doesn't always need to look. All aeroplanes are going this way or that, according to his communication. There are two captains and others; all people are inside, and they may also have some dog or cat or other living animals inside. We are going from here to America or London. Yes, we all go to London—the dog, the cat, the people. The Jīva, Jīvātmā, the living being—all are living. Not only that, sometimes people say, when going on an aeroplane for the first time, "Oh my God, how will it be?" After one or two days, we are very happy, the aeroplane is going, and we are singing. But there are also animals inside, placed somewhere. This dog or that—they are very anxious because they do not know what to do. These animals also feel, "Will I be killed or what?" They think, "I will go, I will go, I will go." Others can go too. Both live, these animals and the humans. But the ātmā, the jīvā, within our body, is for everybody. Everyone is happy, or everybody is very angry, or everyone is very anxious, thinking, "I don't know what to do, what will happen." Ātmā, God has given to everyone. So we are humans, and as humans, we should know what is coming. Only that which is all can come, coming to what we call Parabrahma Paramatmā. Those who have not done something will again go back. Whether you understand or do not understand, whether you think or not, like this, on this earth, in that earth, what is? Everywhere is the ocean, and just a little of it is what we call our earth. The ocean is very big, and within it live all those creatures who are on the earth. Others in the water, there are also many, many lives. Now, all we are living, but of course, jīva jīva bhakṣate. Jīva jīva—every creature is eating other creatures. Every creature is trying to eat all others. But certain animals do not kill other animals. For example, a cow. A cow will not kill any animals; it only eats grass. A buffalo also only eats grass. An elephant also only eats grass. So many are there, standing so tall and not falling down. Jīva jīva bhakṣyate. Those animals, they don't know. So they eat each other, and they will again go back; again they will come. But then Bhagavān, Paramātmā, we call, one after all of it, one more Paramātmā has given humans. And these humans were many times very numerous; they were also living, eating things, and so on. But then, Satgurus came, like Guru, Bhagavān, Bhagavān, the God. And then they said, "We will not kill any creatures." We should not even destroy too many trees and many other things. We can eat fruits when they come, but we are taking already now. Now, humans are very many, and so we can eat vegetables. That is okay. It is said that when I am very hungry and there is nothing, maybe some fruit or something comes, and that is there. But if there is nothing, and if you are hungry, then you can eat other creatures because the human is near God; otherwise not. But if people are killing living creatures, beautiful creatures, and how they are killing them, how they are suffering, that is not right. And so in that Paramātmā, at that time, Śiva, Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and all—Kṛṣṇa, Rāma—all have given the teaching that no creatures are to be killed. And then give more pūjā; pūjā means prayers. We have prayers in the church; that is also prayers. Eat prasād, good, but not killed animals or such. But now also in India, many people have gone astray, and they also want to eat this and that. But still, there are more who do not. When they do not have, then they eat others. We can develop ourselves, and we have our animals, cows, buffaloes, and these all, they are giving up everything, peace. And so, all, each and every very tiny creature is like a very little drop of water in the ocean, and the whole ocean. But in both, all are again very fine water drops. It will go into the ocean, and then we do not know because it becomes whole, like the ocean. Peace, peace, peace. So in this Kali Yuga now, and in Kali Yuga, it is very, very much about how animals are being killed, killed, killed. And that will not be; it will always happen again. So what you do, what you kill, when you will die, they will kill you. This is coming, a cycle, cycling, cycling. Whether you believe or not, whether you think or not, but your heart... and your every "no," "yes," "how I did wrong to someone." So this is it. We have to come all together everywhere. And so, satsaṅg. Satsaṅg: 'sat' means the truth, pure, good, everything. Satsaṅg: 'saṅgha' means all together. Now we are sitting all together, but we are one. The whole of humanity, we are one, and like this, satsaṅg. So you have to learn, you should know, and this way it doesn't matter if you are Indian or Australian or Croatian, or this. Everywhere is good. You can become very humble in this. I do not know how long Jesus was at that time, and he was, but it is said mostly that Jesus was not eating any animals and meats, and like this. I do not know; I have not seen him. But Śiva, Hanumān, Gaṇeśa, they all, Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān, there, how we were living. So now Kali Yuga has come, and Kali Yuga is a very terrible thing. Things are coming, and service will protect in the coming time. So, my dears, in your house you can do prayers according to your language, everything, but not these killings. Alcohol, alcohol is something, but not for destroying the bodies. It came from when Bhagavān Śiva asked in the oceans, the churning of the oceans, and was bringing how many things? And there was also alcohol, because that is a medicine, very good, but not for consumption like this. It is just like in a doctor, in a hospital, or anywhere. There are some drops that have to be given, but others are going to drag and then fall down. In this way, we should know. It doesn't matter if you do yoga or not, but tell everybody: take your life to go further and not down. Jīva jīva bhakṣate. Every animal eats animals, but we humans should not. In that way, then, for example, you see that those of you who are like all who are not eating meat and alcohol and such, you are very good. And now, there are various other people who are fighting now. Like now, for example, Ukraine, what is happening, or other places anywhere. That we will not do. In all countries, it will be like our people like this. Satsaṅg. Then there will be no fighting, no nothing, and like this. And that we have to come back. It has happened many times. It is not also, even I do not know, but how Jesus, how they said how he was, and he was killed and hanged. That time was also, but now we know better, more clear and good, but now many things are happening. So, our children, our... now we did not know that, but now you know. Then the priest said, "God, I give up all killings. You give me something to eat." We are happy. We are very good. We are very healthy. Everything. Not that we want to be like this and like that. So, śatāśaṅga, śatāśaṅga. And then, I wanted to tell you that we have here our Gurujīs: Ālakpurījī, Devpurījī, Dev Purī Jī, Mahāprabhu Jī, Holy Guru Jī, and I am there. That is what I wanted to tell you. So this was the point I wanted to tell you. So you come, bring my picture. Thank you. You have seen our Gurudevs: Ālak Purījī, Devpurījī, Mahāprabhujī, Holy Gurujī. They are with us as pictures. But physically, they are not anymore. They are, but I am also there. And mostly, everything in India, we want to say what it is. So as long as, for example, I am living, I should not have a garland from the flowers. When this is done with a garland there, on the pictures or on the..., then it is said, "Oh, this was, he dies." Now we are giving mālās. Okay, we give a mālā, we give back. But for certain things, like this, on the picture, on this... There, we should not give the garland. Garland. And garland means that what somebody said: some person, his person's what is he, this and then we did not know, and then we found it, this person died, then they said, "Yes, we saw dead body," then so then they give the garland. So this garland we should not give. To what we call the altar, the altar should not have this. Mālā, you gave me many things. You give me a mālā. Yes, very good. And then I give back like this. Others, and now you see that we do not have mālās there. We should have given mālās to Ālak Purījī, Devpurījī, Mahāprabhujī, Holy Gurujī. Then we could have given garlic. But mine should be without also, okay? So you do not know because that's why you do not know that, but now I am telling you that this, when what we... yes, so you can have the photo like this for something, you're hanging out like this. But when it is like this, and therefore we should not take it out. And so, doing this, people are giving me, and you are coming, and I am going with you, living with you, it's okay. But then, when it is said somewhere, "What happened?" then they will give the garland. So this photo is okay, you like it, but do not put it on the altar, okay? Okay. So tomorrow you can put it somewhere in one of something and some other, okay? And the flowers, if for Mahāprabhujī, Holy Gurujī, or something. So, I know that you have done it with great joy or something, happiness or something like that. So, that's why every day I'm telling you, whether I will tell you or not, I'm telling you. So, today the whole day, the whole day, I was thinking and talking. Okay? So, Satsaṅg. What is the truth? Satsaṅg and saṅg, with all together we are, my dears. Now, so tomorrow then, take it, okay? So when we are all here, I told you that in the ocean, in this, we were all in this lake, and all are together. And so we are all together, and you all are happy, joy as you like. And I am also happy, and I like it, but this is that we have to bring now. We have to come to the Sanātana Dharma, Sanātana Dharma, Sanātana. All this, like you are all happy, good, very good, doing. Sanātana Dharma. Sanātana Dharma. So we are in this Sanātana Dharma. We are all together, and please, because people didn't tell them many things, and this and that, but now I tell you, tell them all. And when we say no, we do not want, and we eat. Eat. You can eat, but that is then going bad. That is that we have to. Now, some people have begun to give someone's yoga, but they said only about yoga, this, this, but they do not say about alcohol and meat. They do not speak, but I said we have to speak. I am your brother. I am your brother. I am your friend. Whatever you or my Swāmījī are like this, you know, when I came to India from there, that time even mine was not. But only once somebody gave it to me, meat, bang, I did not know it came. In France, I was there, and I went to France, and people were with me from our Croatia, and we said, "Let's go, we go to the restaurant, and we have dinner in the evening in France," and no, anything meat, meat, meat. We said, "Please, we are not eating this; we give this." Okay. They brought one plate again. Again, there was meat inside. I said, "Please," here three times, and three times I gave the money to the other one, who was my disciple. And then I said, "I give you money, please eat this, take it, thank you. I am not eating." "Yes, yes, I know, I remember very, very..." Much so, I said, when there is this—animals are animals, eating humans are the humans—and this is why Indians always have their spiritualities and satsaṅgs, and this, that's it. But now they also, they are learning, and they all think of these other countries, and Indians think we must also have this and this. And so they are going in another direction, another direction. So there are many yoga people in India, but many of them do not give up alcohol and such things. And many not, of course, still. So, it does not matter where we are, in which countries, and there, I give you my ideas. Let's come. All creatures, help them. The cat. You have a cat and you like it. There are some others; they kill that. There are some others that can kill that, like this. So, good, very good when we have our animals at home also. Okay, we have love, we are happy with us, this, that, it's good. And it is that animals, they are who are eating and killing other animals. Yes, it is their nature. Their nature, our nature, should be human nature. So it does not matter who is who, but you know yourself what we have done. And now we will say, "My Lord, I did not know. It was... now I know." At that time, God will say, "You did not know, and you did it. I give you up." But now you should, this, that is that. It will come, it will come, it will come. Oṁ. Oṁ Namah Śrī Prabodhi Paṇarāi. Oṁ Namah Śrī Prabhu Dīpana Sab Dās Prabhu Śaraṇ Parāyaṇam ... Oṁ Namah Śrī Prabhupāda Oṁ Namah Śrī Pradīpa Nārāyaṇa Śrī Dīpna Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān. So we are the children from the mother's womb. There you should... My mother also said, "My son, how pure this is, that." And speak, give techniques, give everything, what to do, what not to do. Now, the Muslims, and Muslims, they're children, girls and boys, all. They are training evenings and mornings, giving their lectures. Yes, very. All children have to, but others do not. The Hindus, they are also becoming, quickly they are coming for Agarbatti, Hari Oṁ. But the Muslims have, they are hand-washing. They come, I do not know, three, two days, two times or three times, and that. We see sometimes in the church when we go to aeroplanes, and the time is there for then at aeroplane. So before, in Arundel, they were doing the pūjā or whatever it was. And they have at airports, there is one for meditations or something. So mostly only Muslims are doing it. They do everything very well. Everything, very everything. I have great respect for them. They do very good, and we should also do. We had, I even came to the, about 50, how many years? 52 years, yeah? And that side, when I came, mostly people were sitting for eating, sitting for lunch, dinner, or so. They are all first saying something, and then we were eating. Also, in German, there was, they are also saying something now. Before that is already, what is that? Yes, so many, many Indians also, otherwise Indians, they also make a pūjā or something, yes, or something. So, slowly, slowly, humans, they are also, they think that they are great, but they are not great. We are all Sanātana Dharma. Something happened, sorry. So when I say that when I came to Europe, there are also many, many people—many, before eating, they sit at the table and they sit. And now, how many are doing this? Let's say in the city, at first you might see only that Muslims are doing it, but others, others are going like this. So they are very respectful in their ways, in their path. So, you should be... We have the Jesus when you go to the church. There's water inside. Yes, I'm waiting. But how many now are going? Some are going with the elderly ladies or people; they have the water there. Others, we go and we go. Then it means that we have lost our way, and then we are going in another direction. Jesus, holy mothers, how great it is, very great. Thank you. Oṁ Siddhi Praṇabhagavānakī Sanātana Dharmakī

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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