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Now, there is something very personal. You should take this very seriously. To fulfill a wish, there are certain things one typically does. This is true; it is not a joke. For example, in India, during particular months, girls observe fasting and perform a ceremony for the holy banyan tree. They bring water, tie a thread around the tree, and offer water to it. This occurs in the month of April, when summer begins. It is a hot and dry season, so it is very good for the tree to receive water. Every tree is a holy tree. It is said that holy persons, rain, trees, and lakes all exist for the sake of others. That very tree is described in the 15th chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā. The girls have a wish. Do you know what they wish for? They wish for a beautiful, good, and healthy husband. They wish for a lifelong, faithful life with their husband. They also fast on Monday, praying to Lord Śiva to protect the husband's life. Unfortunately, the boys do not do this, because they think they will get a nice wife anyway, since all wives are nice wives. What does this mean for us? Why am I telling you this? This is called anuṣṭhāna—a long-lasting observance, or a vow. It is a personal anuṣṭhāna for something, directed toward whomever or whichever God you believe in. That is very personal. You go to the altar, or you sit and close your eyes—or keep them open—with a pure heart and pure thinking. If you have some flowers in your hands, that is good. Do not go with empty hands; do not pray with empty hands. You make your saṅkalpa, your resolve. You pray to the merciful Lord: "Through your grace, may my wish come true. For that, I will sacrifice something." We have to do something. For example, you might vow: "For twelve years, I will fast every Monday." Or you may fast every Thursday. If there is something related to health, you fast on Tuesday. Tuesday is the day of health, the day of bodybuilders, the day of Hanumānjī. Hanumān. When you open a karate club or begin karate, you should start on a Tuesday and have a picture of Hanumānjī there; you will be successful. If you want to bring harmony and protection to the home, then there is Wednesday. Wednesday is the day of Gaṇeśjī. Gaṇeśa is the remover of obstacles and the bestower of blessings, harmony, and mutual understanding—which we also need. When you want to develop spiritual consciousness, you fast on Thursday, the day of the master, Jupiter. Your Jupiter should be strong. Someone once said, "My Jupiter is very strong on my palm." They said, "The Gurū is very strong." I said, "Yes, my Gurū is very strong." Friday is the day for fulfilling wishes, for attaining satisfaction. There is fasting dedicated to the Divine Mother, known as Santoṣī Mātā, the Mother of Satisfaction, so that all may be satisfied. Mother Nature is the nature of forgiveness. Sometimes the father is more angry; the father does not understand the children. But the mother has a very big heart; the mother is happy when the children are happy. Even if ice cream is not good for their teeth, when they are happy, she gives them ice cream. Lucky are those who can enjoy a mother's love for a long, long time. The mother is never jealous; the mother's heart is very soft for children. The father is also very gentle and soft, but he has a different perception of the children, or different expectations for them. The father educates the children to be harder, stronger, more intellectual—which is very, very important. The mother gives love, kindness, and understanding. The mother is never jealous of the children—well, sometimes she is. When children grow up and get married, the mother may become jealous of her son because his wife will take him away now. And the father is more jealous regarding his boys, because his daughter will be taken away. That is natural. You had your child with you all the time; you protected your child from every kind of circumstance. Now they go out; you do not know how they will be. So, a mother is a mother. Friday is a day for her. Then comes Saturday. Saturday is also a day for fasting. If, in your constellation, you have what is called Saturn, you need to fast on that day and use more iron objects. Whenever you are using them, put one piece of iron in the oil. Sunday is for the sun, for light. And Monday is for the merciful Lord. We cannot fast every day. There must be some days when we can eat. Here, fasting means avoiding one meal. You can take liquids, some fruits, a few nuts, and then in the evening you should have your meal. Before that, you make a prayer, a pūjā, cook your food, offer it to God, and then you eat. These are outer rituals, altar ceremonies, worshiping idols. In some religions, it is not respected or accepted to worship idols, pictures, or such things. In other religions, it is. When you go to a church, you have—how to call it—Jesus's photo or a statue, or you have some holy saint. You have Mother Mary. Likewise, it has a great effect on human consciousness. So, this is one of the ways. If you have some saṅkalpa, some wish, then say, "Lord, I will do this for five years, twelve years, ten years, one year," according to your capacity. Let us say your wish is fulfilled in five years, but you promised God you would fast every Monday for twelve years. Your wish is now fulfilled. God is sitting somewhere in a cave, on a mountain; you forget Him. That is not good. You should fast for the full twelve years. A promise is a promise. Therefore, this is one way. Second, you say, "I will recite so many mantras. I will repeat my mantra one million times within five years, or one year, or ten years," depending on how much you can practice per day. That develops discipline, self-confidence, purifies the mind and consciousness, and at the same time, divine help comes to support you, and your wish will be fulfilled. Or you simply say, "God, when this wish of mine is fulfilled, I will offer you one coconut." Then you will cut the coconut, place it on the altar, and later use it as prasāda. In this case, it is not about quantity; it is about quality—the quality of devotion and the quality of confidence. If you do not have confidence and only want to make a trial, it will not be successful. If you only want to test it, that will not happen. You should be sure that it will happen. The positive thinking comes from you. It is you who will bring this to fulfillment, every day. So, it is not the value of the coconut, whether it costs one dollar or a thousand dollars. What does God do with the dollar? It is about your confidential devotion. Recording location: Slovenia, Kranj, Seminar