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Learn to endure

The world is an unreal test we must endure while seeking the truth of the Self. We live in a physical body with its own nature, experiencing hunger, thirst, and desires, which test us. With discernment and intellect, we can choose our responses and train in endurance, remaining above circumstances through self-reflection. We contemplate, "Who am I?" recognizing we are not the body or mind but the Self, yet we cannot escape the body. A key practice is cultivating a longing for liberation from worldly suffering. Troubles persist whether in household or monastic life. Self-reflection means directing all energy toward liberation now. Life has moments of happiness and unhappiness, like in marriage, illustrating the mixed nature of worldly existence. Unwanted events occur, and desired ones may not, as everything comes and goes. Passing through countless milestones leads toward exiting the cycle, but learning to endure is not easy. Human nature complicates this, as we undervalue what we have and crave what we lack.

"Brahma satya, jagat mithyā."

"Kab hove jag dukh chhūṭkārā?"

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

I can tell you only one thing, which I have been contemplating the entire day: what I will share with you this evening. We learn: "Brahma satya, jagat mithyā." Brahman is the truth, and the world is unreality. Yet, we still live in this physical world; we live with this physical body. This body has its own nature, composed of the five tattvas. It experiences hunger, thirst, sensations of cold and heat, anger, jealousy, desires, likes, and dislikes. These are present, so we are tested by this world. As long as we live in a physical body, we can, with strong viveka (discernment) and a strong intellect, choose yes or no. We can train ourselves in titikṣā. Titikṣā means to be above everything. It means to endure all situations and circumstances in life while practicing ātma-cintan—reflecting on the self, contemplating, "Who am I?" Not this body, not this mind, not these desires or senses, but I am the ātmā. Yet, even thinking this way, you cannot run away from your body. In Jñāna Yoga, among its last four principles, the fourth practice is to have mokṣa kī icchā—a longing, a desire for liberation. It is the desire for freedom. "Kab hove jag dukh chhūṭkārā?" O Lord, when will I be free from the suffering of this world? "Kab hove jag dukh chhūṭkārā?" Whether you are at home or in the forest, whether living a household life or a holy monastic life, you are not free from these duḥkhas. Troubles are there. But ātma-cintan means that here and now, we try to direct all our concentration and all our energy toward liberation. There are certain points in life, moments when we feel happy, and times when we feel unhappy. Many people long to get married, and many, after marriage, become very unhappy. Why did they marry? The world situation has changed a lot throughout the entire world. This is saṃsāra; this is where everything is mixed. What you do not want to happen will happen, and what you would like to happen may not. Everything has its time; everything comes and goes. But a person, after passing through all those 8 million, 400 thousand milestones, is on the best path to exit that circle. It is not so easy. Therefore, to learn to endure is not easy. And human nature is this: when we have something, we do not know its value, and when we do not have it, we cry for it. That is the nature of human complication.

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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