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How to deal with your desires

Stress arises from modern information overload, not from life's inherent conditions. A century ago, communication was slow and life was peaceful. Now, constant digital bombardment agitates our consciousness. In meditation, you direct your mind to the mantra to calm this agitation. Asking darkness to leave is futile; you must bring light. When the light of wisdom awakens, the darkness of ignorance vanishes. This is the mantra's power. Devotion is its value. Without value, there is no dedication. Like gold, the object does not change, but its perceived value fluctuates enormously. Your gain or loss is in that valuation. Similarly, the benefit of your spiritual practice lies in the devotion you cultivate. This value is fragile and cannot be bought. When you lose it, even a marriage can break. Therefore, sit in meditation and practice your mantra. In time, you will find a joy that elevates you above worldly concerns.

"When that light of wisdom awakens, all the darkness of ignorance and suffering suddenly disappears."

"The benefit is there in your devotion... On the day you lose the value, even a marriage will break."

Filming location: Australia

To limit your needs and control the senses is to automatically dissolve tension. What we call stress today arises because the human has become a workaholic, and there is so much information. A hundred years ago, wherever we were, we lived peacefully. There were perhaps some telegrams or a telephone. A letter from Europe to Australia took a long time. So there was no stress. Now we have the telephone, mobiles, fax, emails, the internet, and what we don't have. We are bombarding our consciousness, our intellect. Therefore, during meditation, you direct your mind towards the mantra, and then all these things will calm down. When there is darkness and you tell the darkness, "Please, darkness, now go away," it will not go. In caves, the darkness is millions of years old, but it will not go away. "Please, darkness, go away." It will not go away. But you put on the light, and within seconds—in no time—the darkness is gone. Similarly, when that light of wisdom awakens, all the darkness of ignorance and suffering suddenly disappears. That is the power of the Gurū Mantra. We call it bhāva—devotion. Devotion means you can also say the value. Without value, you cannot have dedication. For example, gold. Today, one kilo of gold costs 50,000 Australian dollars. Tomorrow the price rises to 100,000 dollars per kilo. How much did you gain? The one kilo didn't increase, not even one gram, but you gain $50,000. Instead of the price going high—Mr. Agarwal is a businessman, so he knows very well about this—instead of the price going high, the price falls. This means tomorrow it will be only $5,000 per kilo. How much did you lose? $45,000. The gold doesn't decrease; it remains one kilo, not even half a gram less. So where is the benefit? It is in the price. Similarly, my dear, the benefit is there in your devotion—for your sādhanā, for God, for your master, for your parents, or even for your partner. On the day you lose the value, even a marriage will break. That value you have to cultivate. It is very fragile. You cannot buy it. That is what we have to take care of. Therefore, just sit in meditation and practice your mantra. After a certain time, suddenly you will have such happiness, such joy. You will feel yourself above worldly things, like a lotus in the water.

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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