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Nāhaṁ Karatā Prabhu Dīp Karatā Mahāprabhujī Dīp Karatā Hai. Kevalaṁ Oṁ Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ Hai. Śrī Alakh Purī Jī, Siddha Pīṭha Paramparā Kī Jai. How are you today? Good. Excellent. This morning’s program continues with a very short question and answer. After that, Swāmī Madhuran will continue, and then Swāmī Umāpurī also has something to announce. And I have something as well. Yesterday’s question was very interesting. Do you remember? It was about the relationship, the connection, between Jīvātmā and Ānandamaya Kośa. The answer is also quite long, but I will try to be brief, to make it shorter. The concept of the five kośas is found in Vedānta philosophy, and much has been explained about them. The Annamaya kośa is this physical body. With this kośa, it is easier to work, to practice, and to purify than with the other kośas. We have āsanas, prāṇāyāma, kriyās, ṣaṭkarma; we have many practices for the body. But we must always remember that these five kośas are not separate. They are connected, and all the time one kośa influences another. A problem may not reside in just one kośa. The physical body has its own anatomy, and so does the Prāṇamaya kośa, as we said yesterday. The Manomaya Kośa also has its own structure. You will find this very nicely described in Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras. Yet reading the Yoga Sūtras is quite hard, and we need a commentary. We are fortunate to have an excellent commentary on Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras from Viśvagurujī. It is now available in German, in English, and even in Hungarian—Magyarul is. Excellent. You know everything, yes? We only need to read and see that Patañjali was the first to explain our vṛttis so beautifully. If you go deeper into his explanation of vṛttis, you will find rich psychology there, and you will see how one vṛtti leads to another, develops, and creates a forest. What does all this mean? That the kośas are interconnected. Ānandamaya Kośa means ānanda, bliss. Maya, in this context, means ‘made from’. So the Ānandamaya Kośa, the last layer, is made from bliss, from joy, from that which is our real Self. When speaking of the kośas, I have a picture in my mind: in each of us is a divine light, the Ātmā. In this physical body, we call it Jīvātmā. Around that light, like a beautifully crafted lamp you might see in the Orient, in Istanbul or any market—a colorful glass shade—there are layers. Or like the candle in Israel with a lovely colored vase around it. You have seen this? It is so beautiful that you become hypnotized. That is the beauty of light when all five kośas are clean. Each layer, we say, has a different color of glass around it. In the end, you see that light and say that someone is a human, someone is an angel, a divine being, because such a beautiful radiance emanates from their person. Then it is said that this human being is like God, or an angel, shining a beautiful light from within. But usually, a lot of dirt gathers on that glass. You know from a candle, as the flame burns, black smoke rises. That black smoke is oily and hard to clean, and in time the glass becomes black. The light becomes almost invisible because of all the dirt on these five layers of glass. And we need to purify all five layers. A person with all five layers clean will be beautiful. Therefore, we have said: if you practice prāṇāyāma—really practice—remember what Viśvagurujī said many years ago, that we should practice prāṇāyāma every day for one hour. I think here in VEP, Swāmījī spoke about this for many years. After some time, the guidance became twice a day for half an hour. And later, Swāmījī stopped talking about it. What does that mean? It does not mean that prāṇāyāma is unnecessary for us; it means that it is difficult for us. It is like mauna during anuṣṭhāna. On my first anuṣṭhāna, Swāmījī was insisting on mauna. Now it is advisable simply not to talk too much. There is a kind of inflation, and we need to stop inflation. Our spiritual economy should grow, not create inflation. But for that, we need a little more discipline. They say that if you practice prāṇāyāma every day, you will become much more beautiful, much nicer. You will shine. This does not mean you will look like you have had plastic surgery. Your inner light will be so lovely that you will be like that lamp in the market in Istanbul or somewhere in the Orient—a beautiful light. And people will be hypnotized by your beauty. Everyone will want to be near you, not because of your physical beauty, but because that light radiates from you and everyone sees that beauty. That is true beauty, not physical beauty, because with physical beauty you cannot win—it is a lose-lose situation. They say that until thirty, you are beautiful by nature; after thirty, you are beautiful from your inner Self. You see that some people, as they age, are like—not wine, but ghee. Ghee, with aging, becomes more expensive and has more health benefits. An old person of a hundred years is something truly remarkable. We need to be like that. Or, you see someone young and very beautiful, but because their inner world is not pleasant, they become bitter and ugly. In fairy tales, you know how witches look. But you need to be positive and wise, and you will become more beautiful. The nearest kośa to our real Self is the Ānandamaya kośa. That is the experience closest to our true nature. And we also know this Ātmā—Jīvātmā, Paramātmā, Mahātmā, Pāpā Ātmā—all these, but the Ātmā is one, that divine light. From Advaita philosophy, Viśvagurujī often gave this picture: if, under the moonlight, you place fifty cups of water, coffee, tea—whatever—you see fifty-one moons, but in reality only one exists. That one reflects in each cup. This means that the Paramātmā, the one moon, is reflected in each cup as the Jīvātmā, yet it is the same divine light. Our aim is like a river merging with the ocean. Yesterday I said that the drop in the palm is Jīva and the ocean is Śiva. And our aim is to come to Śiva, to become Śiva, the cosmic consciousness. This palm is what creates separation, and the distance is why the drop is not in the ocean. We need to purify all this, to let the drop merge into the ocean and become the ocean. The connection between Jīvātmā and Ānandamaya Kośa is that in the Ānandamaya Kośa we are nearest to our real Self. That is pure bliss. I hope I have been short. Oh, yes. Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī Jai. Dear Mother Anjum. This is a spiritual lecture on Yoga in the Indian tradition. Guru Mūrti, Pūjā Mūlam Guru Padam, Mantra Mūlam Guru Vākyam, Mokṣa Mūlam Guru Kṛpā. Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaḥ, Sarve Santu Nirāmayāḥ, Sarve Bhadrāṇi Paśyantu, Mā Kaścid Dukkha Bhāg Bhavet. Om Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ. Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Jai, Śrī Śrī Devīśvara Mahādeva Kī Jai, Hindu Dharma Samrāṭ Sadguru Svāmī. Madhavānandjī Bhagavān Kī Jai, Viśvaguru Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Maheśvarānandjī Gurudeva Kī Jai, Śrī Alakhpurījī Mahādeva Kī Jai. Praṇām to our beloved Gurudev. Praṇām to Mahāmaṇḍaleśvar Svāmī Vivekpūrījī. Praṇām, Mahāmaṇḍaleśvar Svāmī Vivek Purī. Praṇām to our dear sannyāsīs and all of you here and around the world. Today is a very beautiful day. It is the incarnation day of our Viśvagurujī, according to the lunar calendar. I think we all share one thing in common, even though we may have slightly different approaches to our sādhanā or practices—some prefer karma yoga, others jñāna, and so on. But one thing brought us all here, and that is love, love for our Gurudev. This seed of devotion, the seed of love in our hearts, we water each day with different techniques, so that one day we can recognize this divine light in everyone. Why am I saying this? Because I cannot offer you very much. Most of you have been practicing—some of you longer than I have been alive. But there are a few rāgas, these meditative musical pieces from Indian classical music, which, as the texts say, awaken the inner longing, the love for the divine. Yesterday you practiced lying down; today we can remain seated, not for long. This rāga is called Rāga Yaman. So, make yourself comfortable. Sit comfortably while keeping your back straight. Gently close your eyes. We will begin by chanting together Oṁ three times. The seed of the sound is in our Maṇipūra Cakra, and it rises through Anāhata and Viśuddhi, ending its journey in the Sahasrāra at the top of the head. While chanting, try to be aware of the resonance of the sound and feel the collective energy of the Oṁ mantra in the room around you. Deep inhalation. Oṁ... Oṁ... Oṁ... Relax your whole body. Feel and relax your face muscles, particularly your eyebrows. Release any analytical thinking. Relax your jaws and notice how your facial expression becomes more neutral. Relax your shoulders and neck; by relaxing your shoulders, let go of any sense of responsibility. Release your collarbones, chest, and abdominal muscles. Feel the trunk of your body straight, upright, but relaxed. Gradually withdraw your awareness from the external world into your inner space, noticing the gentle movement of the breath inside your body and the oneness between your body and breath. The trunk gently expands and contracts with each conscious inhalation and exhalation. This calms the mind, as if you are sinking deeper within, into your inner peace, toward the center of your chest, the heart, coming home to yourself. From the center of your chest, slowly expand your awareness to the whole body and become aware of your presence in this room. One deeper inhalation, exhalation. Again, we will chant Oṁ three times and then the Nāham Karatā. Whilst chanting Oṁ, let us share the resonance of inner peace through this mantra with the world around us. Oṁ... Oṁ... Oṁ... Nāhaṁ Karatā Prabhu Dīp Karatā Mahāprabhujī Dīp Karatā Hai. And again, rub the palms, feel your face, muscles, eyelids, eyes. Open your eyes. And one bhajan, if I may. I think it needs no translation or explanation. Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī Jai, Viśvaguru Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Maheśvarānandjī Gurudeva Kī Jai. Hari Om. Just one thing: since I am sitting here, if you still have CD players, I have some meditation music CDs. If you would like, come to me afterwards. Thank you, Arjan. Bhajanandjī, this bhajan was sung in Jadan during a flag function at the Śiva Mandir. It was sometime around ’92, ’93, or ’94—I don’t remember exactly. Afterwards, Swāmījī said it was so peinlich, embarrassing, for him that his master, his Gurujī, was singing the glory of the disciple. It should be the other way around, but at that time Gurujī was singing Swāmījī’s glory. I was observing Swāmījī; he was constantly telling Gurujī that he need not listen. Even now, I think it is still a little painful for him to remember that time with Gurujī. Yes, one more thing: we have again received the dry sabjī from Jadan Āśram. Some of you may know this dry sabjī—guṇḍā, saṅgrī, and bābul. For example, the guṇḍā is harvested separately. The dry pods don’t look appealing, but they are very, very good when you know how to prepare them. Guṇḍā is a tree vegetable, growing on a tree. On the way from the White House to the kitchen or the Karma Yoga House, if you look to the right, there are many bābul trees with large leaves. The green bābul is harvested in April, when it is still not completely ripe; when ripe, it is May or early June. When I was there, it was already very ripe—yellow, sweet, and a little slimy. You can eat it like a fruit, and it is especially good for the knees. The slimy quality remains even when dried, and it also helps those with intestinal problems, inflammations like Crohn’s disease. In the Jadan kitchen, they cook the guṇḍā, boil it, remove the seeds, dry the pulp in the sun, and then pack it and send it here. It is a lot of work. When you use it, soak it overnight—I recommend hot water—and then prepare it. This mixed batch contains bābul, saṅgrī, and guṇḍā. Bābul has a slightly astringent effect, very good for the gums, and also for female disorders because of its astringent quality, such as menstrual problems or even after birth. Nowadays you can search the internet and find everything. In Āyurveda, it is used extensively to rinse the mouth—soak it and use it as a toothpaste. If you have periodontitis, I would recommend it. The saṅgrī inside also grows on trees. It is long and thin; fresh it is green, and when dried it turns brown. This is my famous sabjī, which Swāmījī also likes very much. He enjoys the bunch, Kutav and Pfeiffer, inside. You can cook it with olive oil, even mixed with ghee if you don’t want it too fatty. Don’t make the oil too hot. Put in the jeera. Swāmījī really likes how they make this from five vegetables. Here is a little idea of how to prepare it. Into the oil put jeera; you can also use mustard seeds or even dhaniyā seeds. I don’t know if you use onion or not—it doesn’t matter; you can prepare it both ways. If you use onion, cut it small and fry it golden brown in the oil along with the cumin, mustard, and dhaniyā seeds. I would add the garlic at the end. In India they tend to put the garlic in earlier, but I add it at the end. Meanwhile, while the onion mixture is becoming lightly golden—don’t burn it—prepare a bowl with warm water. First mix the ground spices: about one teaspoon chili (according to your capacity), a little haldī powder (kurkuma), dhaniyā powder (one to two teaspoons), cumin powder, and salt—don’t forget. Mix these with hot water, then pour the mixture into the onion and oil base that already contains the cumin, mustard seeds, dhaniyā seeds, and onion. For these three vegetables you need a generous amount of fat; don’t skimp, thinking you’ll gain weight—you really need enough oil. Now gently, not wildly, mix the spice paste into the onion mixture. It will be quite liquid, at least a quarter liter of water. Stir until the oil rises to the surface and the mixture bubbles gently. Then add the sabjī that has been soaked overnight. Before soaking, check the saṅgrī for any small sticks or twigs and remove them. How do you tell a stick from saṅgrī? That’s a good question—you will recognize it. Drain the soaked vegetables, discarding the soaking water, and add them to the spiced onion mixture. It should still be juicy and liquid, not dry. Let it cook for a while with the spices; otherwise it stays hard and lacks flavor. If needed, add more hot water and a little salt. Keep the lid on while it cooks. When it looks done, open the lid and check. At the end of the cooking process, add a little āmchur powder—that is raw mango powder—to give a slight sourness. If you don’t have āmchur, a little lemon juice will do. If you are not vegan, Swāmījī likes yogurt, so you can add a little yogurt. If you are vegan, skip the yogurt. The dish should remain juicy, not too dry. If you use garlic, now is the time to add it. Mix well and garnish with fresh coriander leaves, or if you prefer, chives. The best accompaniment is roti or chapati; if not, a good bread or rice will do. So this is the proper way to prepare the mixed sabjī of bābul, saṅgrī, and guṇḍā. It is available in the shop, the kirāṇa, in different sizes, and she also provides information sheets in English and Hungarian explaining its benefits. She also has neem and neem giloi. Neem giloi is what climbs on the neem tree and is extremely healthy. Neem itself destroys almost everything. Neem bark paste is used for skin diseases. The leaves make a very bitter tea that lowers blood sugar immediately—just the sight of a neem leaf can almost do it. You can also take it as a powder. Neem kills parasites, fungi, viruses, and bacteria; it is antibacterial, antiviral, all that. But don’t use it for longer than two weeks, as Swāmījī said, otherwise it may have a different effect. If you feel a cold coming on, immediately drink a hot neem tea with lemon and honey—powder or leaves—straightaway. It is truly the best remedy. So we have all these Āyurvedic things. I would call this the domain of Āyurveda or naturopathy right here in the shop. If you want, you can get them. I don’t know if she has the haldī powder, but she has the bābul powder—easy to use, no need to powder ourselves. Everything is organic and comes from Jadan, prepared there in our kitchen by Janki and the ladies. All who work there prepare it very well, and the prāṇa is inside. Benne van a prāṇa. And there are various minerals and vitamins. Especially in the season when we don’t have fresh vegetables, or we don’t know what to cook and everything feels boring—I’m that person sometimes, I don’t want to eat vegetables anymore—so before I resort to pasta, rice, or bread dishes, I cook this. For one or two people you need only a small amount.