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Part 1: Guidance on Practice, Faith, and the Subtle Body Ancestral Puja and Neem If you have a genuine interest in performing an ancestral puja (śrāddha), you can organize it. It would be more economical to bring a knowledgeable scholar to your location than to travel elsewhere. Regarding neem powder: it should not be taken orally every day for years without a break. A very small amount—a pinch—may be taken continuously, but there is a risk of it accumulating in the kidneys over a long period. It is very beneficial to use neem toothpaste, neem soap, and to apply a neem powder mask over the entire body once a month. This practice is excellent against infections and allergies, such as to flower pollen. You can also boil neem leaves in water, strain the liquid, add a pinch of salt, and use it as a rinse. Adding just a knife-tip amount of neem powder to tea is sufficient. The Third Eye and Spiritual Practice When the space of the third eye (ājñā cakra) reveals itself during practice—through mantra, concentration, or tratak (candle meditation)—it is a very beautiful and blessed sign. Āsana for the Ājñā Cakra In the chakra book, the exercise listed for the ājñā cakra is Bhūmi Pāda Mastakāsana. Both this and Pūrṇamānāsana are beneficial. All forward-bending exercises are good for the ājñā cakra, as they increase blood circulation to the head, nourishing the sense organs (jñānendriyas) located there (eyes, nose, ears, tongue). The skin is also a jñānendriya. However, caution is needed for those with high eye pressure, dizziness, nosebleeds, or ear inflammations. This underscores the importance of guidance from a qualified teacher. The Role of a Yoga Teacher Being a yoga teacher is a divine blessing, as it involves helping others with their energy, thoughts, and psychological well-being. It is not a title earned from a short course. A true teacher remains a lifelong student, must be honest and careful, and should teach with the primary intention of helping others, not just earning money. Earnings should be declared and taxes paid honestly; acting against this principle contradicts yoga's ethics. Every action (karma) bears fruit, and it is harder to escape the consequences of karma than a tax officer. Practicing Bandhas and Mudrās Whether you can practice bandhas and mudrās depends entirely on your individual health. For example, Uḍḍīyāna bandha should not be practiced by those with a hernia or heart problems, as it creates strong pressure. Therefore, personal guidance from a teacher is essential. Prāṇa in the Nāḍīs The types of prāṇa that flow in the Iḍā and Piṅgalā nāḍīs are not restricted to just one. There are five main prāṇas and five upaprāṇas (sub-prāṇas). Every nāḍī is connected to and communicates all types of prāṇa. The Suṣumnā nāḍī is not solely for kuṇḍalinī energy. It is a central channel throughout the entire body, controlling bodily functions, the nervous system, consciousness, memory, and movement—like a powerhouse distributing energy. Agnīśaya Kriyā for Eye Pressure Agnīśaya kriyā strongly affects the maṇipūra cakra (solar plexus), which has a direct connection to the eyes. This practice relaxes the eyes, dissipates pressure, and creates a sensation of lightness, making it very helpful for intraocular pressure. Stages of Mantra Practice If you find yourself whispering your mantra, you are at the third stage of practice, known as Upāṃśu. The ability to think the mantra silently will come in time. Mantra and Faith Receiving a mantra does not require you to become Hindu or to give up your Christian faith. On the contrary, your faith will become clearer and more inclusive. You can respect and believe in the truths found in Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Hinduism. All genuine spiritual paths lead to the same ocean of truth. Religions are like different flowers in a garden or different parts of one body; we should embrace this diversity with an open heart, tolerance, and love. Plans for 2012 In 2012, travel plans include America, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, and a return to India, with a visit to Hamburg as well. Practical Instruction: Agnīśaya Kriyā and Uḍḍīyāna Bandha Let us practice Agnīśaya kriyā. Those with inguinal/umbilical hernias or recent surgeries should not participate. 1. Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width, toes slightly turned out. 2. Inhale deeply through the nose. 3. Exhale completely through the mouth, bend forward from the hips, and place hands on knees. 4. After full exhalation, perform Bahiṣ Kumbhaka (external breath retention) and rapidly draw the abdominal wall inward and upward toward the heart. Keep the head and shoulders still. 5. When you need to breathe, inhale slowly as you straighten up. 6. Practice 3-4 rounds, ideally every morning before breakfast. This is excellent for adrenal gland function and combating fatigue. For Uḍḍīyāna bandha, the technique is similar, but after lifting the abdominal wall, you hold it statically for as long as is comfortable, without the pumping motion. This deeply massages the digestive organs. Practice it 3-4 times, either bending forward or standing. Closing Relaxation and Preview After practice, relax completely for a minute, reviewing what you have learned. Next time, we will practice an exercise for the Bindu cakra, a combination of Nāda and Bindu, which is spiritually rejuvenating. Hari Om. Part 2: The Ājñā Cakra: The Command Center A reminder: mantra initiation will be offered in the ashram at 6 p.m. for those who wish to receive one. Thank you to the organizers. We have these beautiful posters. Do you know them? Are you pleased with the graphic design? Is the designer here? We are satisfied with the image, though it appears a bit swollen and blurred from being overly reduced. Next time, we will bring bell peppers. Why show the picture now? That is the question. We have some remaining, and everyone is welcome to take one in support of our Hamburg Ashram. Perhaps three euros each? From three euros, then. We have about one hundred left. We also have some from the Viśuddhi Cakra with the same design. Money, money, money. It depends on whether one has a home, a large one. This is a beautiful poster image. One moment. Cut here, only up to here, and it is nice. It is Thursday. I am donating for Hamburg. Thank you. All the best. Have a good journey. We must now depart, or set out on a journey. Travel with God’s blessing. Mahāprabhu Dīpa alone is the doer. Oṁ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ... Back to the Ājñā Cakra. The line to see the chakras in sequence—the seat of this chakra is at the back of the head. But its reflection, vision, and feelings are at the forehead, between the eyebrows, slightly higher by about two centimeters. These are the two chakras: the Ājñā Cakra and the Bindu Cakra. Both constantly require attention and need to be active. Therefore, yogis began to apply sandalwood paste on the forehead as a tilaka. Throughout the day, this scent, the aroma of sandalwood, constantly brings a cool sensation to the forehead. As it dries, it tightens slightly, creating a very subtle pressure. This keeps the Ājñā Cakra active, fostering concentration, clarity, and pleasant, calm thoughts. So, this symbol, the tilaka, is not merely a tradition or religious mark. It was conceived as a balance between emotion and intellect. Over time, it became a fashion or a thing of beauty to have a long, large tilaka. Women wear a very small one called a bindi. Now there is a fashion for color coordination: if the shoes are blue, the bindi is blue; if the shoes, handbag, and pants are black, then... the thoughts are black? No, not that. And the eyeliner is also black. So, this is what happens with fashionable trends. If you are content, then all is well. Be happy and joyful; at least your outward adornment makes you happy. That is also a positive point: contentment. Such a tilaka symbolizes the third eye. According to natural signs, a tilaka is also considered a symbol of good fortune. In the past, meeting someone without a tilaka was considered a bad omen for a journey. If something happened, people would ask, "Did you meet someone very early today without a tilaka?" Many say that when a cat crosses your path, it’s a dark Friday—and this is also Friday the 13th. My God, why not? Then we should remove it starting from the 13th month. But there is. In Sydney, I often stay in a hotel. Some hotels have over 70 floors, but there is no 14th. There is no 4th, no 14th, no 24th, and no 34th. So, four numbers are missing. I asked if it was private, perhaps the elevator does not stop there? Maybe they have their own elevator. But then they said this entire property belongs to a Chinese owner. And in Chinese, the number four sounds like the word for death, a misfortune. So, it contains something within itself. That is why it is said that being four-legged is misfortune, because animals are brought to the slaughterhouse, right? So, thank God who made us two-legged beings here. A tilaka is a symbol of wisdom, the third eye, and a ray of light. So, it is a light. The Ājñā Cakra has two petals, or how should one say, the blossoms of the lotus petals: two. Mūlādhāra has four, Svādhiṣṭhāna has six, and Maṇipūra has ten. And Anāhata? It has twelve. Viśuddhi has sixteen. And the Ājñā Cakra has only two. These two symbolize Śiva and Śakti. This is the unfolding of this power into two. And the two are one. The mantra is Haṁ, Śaṁ. So, the mantra is Haṁ—that is "I"—and Śaṁ is the Śakti, the power and consciousness, and so on. Oṁ Haṁ Śaṁ. There is a mantra that people who practice more Tantric exercises use; there are so many mantras, and 80% of them are mantras for Śakti: Krīṁ, Krīṁ, Krāṁ, Krāṁ—come in here, the shoe. These are all mantras focused on the Divine Mother, the divine Śakti, the Devīs. I am apparently not a Devī-upāsaka, but apparently it is said she comes faster. It comes faster than you think, Rāmpurī, do you know that? And it fulfills many wishes. It is the people who materialize something, show something in their hand not at all, then make a fist and open the palm, and you have a ring or a necklace. This is all a magical Tantric-Śākta practice, the revered feminine form. But that does not have to be a bad thing. It is positive, spiritual, completely pure. This is called Śaktipūjā. But what we wish to achieve—perfection, to be one with Brahman—Śakti cannot give you that. Therefore, you must go to the Puruṣa, to Brahman, to the Formless. There are many mantras; yes, through their blessings one is liberated. She is the Merciful One; she gives this, and he gives that. And that is all okay, very nicely said. But in the end, all of this ceases. When knowledge is present, then you also know what Śakti means. And now Śakti means your willpower, your power of knowledge, spiritual power, and everything—Śakti, with whom we are dealing. Śakti-pūjakas mostly use red color and also a red tilaka. And Śiva is yellow, orange, sandalwood, or ash. So, there are several colors and symbols, but the Ājñā Cakra is in unity. There they call it Gaurī-Śaṅkara. That is the seat of Gaurī-Śaṅkara. Gaurī is Pārvatī, and Śaṅkara is Śiva. Both are in one form. In one. Seen in this way, both principles, feminine and masculine, exist within us. In a male, consciousness and feelings contain more of the feminine principle or feminine energy. And in the feminine, there exists more masculine consciousness. That means a man thinks a lot about the woman—whether it is the mother, because we were so small, we have always thought of the mother, or thought of her even more, as adults then focus on women. And women have more feelings, and in an energy cakra, an energy maṇḍala, it is filled with the man. So, that is good. It maintains a balance in the principles of Prakṛti and Puruṣa. Because if there were no Puruṣa in feminine consciousness or thought and energy, then it would not be fertile, nor could it leave anything behind. So, she would have no feelings. Neither this nor that. The problem is gone. No more problems. Even the masculine side, if he has no affection for women, then he has lost his principles, his dharma. And nothing can give children either. Then it is said, napuṁsaka. Napuṁsaka is neither Puruṣa nor strī (woman). Woman, Puruṣa—this is a balance in nature. And it is a pūraka. Pūraka means a flow from both sides, giving together. In Prāṇāyāma, there is also pūraka. And here pūraka means ratio. It is the ratio of both sides, masculine and feminine. So, when this comes, then dualism disappears. And unity arises in that the Śakti always enters as consciousness, in the awareness of the power that leads us further into infinity in the universe. And as attention is consciousness, and therefore it is the Ājñā Cakra. There they say, "You are going on a good journey home, drive carefully." And so, this is pūraka; this is a ratio, a union. So, this is the power of thought, the power of consciousness, the power that brings us into infinity and still holds us there—vigilance or awareness that you can embrace, accept, and store in your feelings or in your memory. Puruṣa is only a space, nothing, in nothingness. But without Puruṣa, without consciousness, energy is zero. It is frozen energy. And without energy, consciousness—Puruṣa—is also a zero, already here, nothing at all. Therefore, from Iḍā and Piṅgalā, both nāḍīs, they come together here and then merge into the Suṣumṇā-nāḍī. Afterwards, only the Suṣumṇā remains, just a single ray of light, very beautiful. That then brings us to the Sahasrāra Cakra. The Sahasrāra Cakra is the symbol of the sun, or one might say the thousand-petaled lotus. That means so many radiations or rays from the sun. Here in yoga anatomy and with these cakras, they have compared them to Devanāgarī letters. All the petals present a letter, which here means Nāda-Yoga. That means sound. How many different sounds are there all around our body, which possess us, give us energy, the light, and everything in one? These are, therefore the Devanāgarī says, the information that has come through meditation. Deva means gods, divine principles. So, in every living being, but especially in humans, there is a deity in each cakra. Deity means, for example, the fire god. Now, how shall we describe the Fire God? Fire is fire. But without fire, we cannot live. Suddenly everything freezes; we are dead. We need the sun. But without water, without cooling, we can also die, burn. Everyone has a pūraka, a ratio, a harmony together. So it is that in each cakra there is a specific sound, and this sound or vibration is a resonance. It is only resonance that holds our entire body together. Every blood cell has its own resonance, and it acts within the body, increasing only through vibration, through resonance. Come together and stretch again. Contraction and expansion are perfectly balanced with the sound. And so, because the Ājñā Cakra becomes active and opens—meaning it is completely purified, the negative intellect is overcome, only positive and beautiful thoughts arise—then the Ājñā Cakra is present. Yes, we have a beautiful image here of the Ājñā Cakra. My God. Look here: one half of the body is masculine and the other half is beautiful, just like Gaurī and Śaṅkara. We also have a beautiful picture of Gaurī and Śaṅkara somewhere in this book. Next time, we will delve into a vision. So, in this Ājñā Cakra, there is a lot—which planets, which principles, which gemstones, and so on. A chart has been provided for this. You can read here and then try out what you like and what you do not like. Too much would then be uncomplicated. The best practice for the Ājñā Cakra is always in the morning, either to apply a tilaka or sandalwood oil. This is the best. Just a little, like a piece of perfume. Take it, and here you will do it. Sandalwood oil, very fine like perfume. And then we will see: all the time, it is a pleasant feeling and it dissolves the stress. It allows the stress to come in. All day long, stress arises through thoughts and visions, and the sound comes to the Ājñā Cakra; it must pass through the Ājñā Cakra—all activities. But here, it will be rejected. As I said, stress. It is automatically filtered. So, it is very good to have either a tilaka or a fine sandalwood paste. It may be that someone is allergic to sandalwood. Is anyone there? I barely saw. Good. If you don’t bring sandalwood, then give a tiger balm. It is more intense, but not too much. And you will feel pleasant all day long. Or, how do you say, the one that is very strong from the eucalyptus: menthol. Yes. So, all day long it is a wonderful feeling. Comfortable, and your stress disappears. Try it; this is no joke. Give it a try. What kind of oil do you have? Sandalwood? We can try. Yes, we can try. Oh, 100%. Yes, I don’t know if it’s true, but... It is true. Oh, it flows through my entire... Haha, oh, oh my God. It is just that I am touching my finger on it. Oh, wonderful, very good. That is very good. And it neutralizes all other smells, right? When you are standing on the bus or the tram or closer, right? Then many kinds of fragrances come, right? And that is good. Here too, two nostrils for two. And we have two ears here. Ah, that is good. These are the points: acupressure points. Here. I also wore piercings, rings here. It was nice, but at some point I lost them. Ājñā Cakra. Ājñā means command. To give an order. And only the one who knows or is wisdom can give. So, to whom do you give the first command? It is not to your wife or your husband, okay? That would be a sign that your Ājñā Cakra is not open. If you give a command to your wife, that means you are not yet that evolved. You don’t need to give commands; you understand her. That is it. Or they strengthen you. Now, give command to your indriyas. Ten indriyas in the body: five karma indriyas (organs of action) and five jñāna indriyas (organs of knowledge). The five sensory organs for knowledge, wisdom, information, and the five senses as being active or doing something. The indriyas are like horses, and the horses can be very wild and can destroy everything, your entire carriage, or the horses can be very gentle and very, very good. So, that is why the indriyas are compared to horses. And then there is the eleventh indriya. Sometimes it is said that the mind is also an indriya. That is why people speak of eleven indriyas. But normally, the mind is not considered an indriya. Indriyas, these are organs, the senses, are horses. But the mind is an elephant. Yes? The mind is an elephant, and the senses are the horses. Now, the elephant can also be very gentle, very beautiful, very good, or when it is angry, it can uproot all the trees. As long as the horse, the elephant, is under control and content—that is, the Ājñā Cakra, the overview—then all the indriyas are automatically calm. And the mind is also symbolized by the monkey. Whoever is a monkey is a great scoundrel. This mind is a monkey, and this monkey is very, very stubborn. It destroys everything within a few minutes, an entire beautiful garden. So, to control our mind means to control this wild monkey. To control our mind means that you have a powerful elephant. An elephant has more strength than a horse. And if you have a strong will, then you say this is a strong elephant. There are visions in the sacred book, the Rāmāyaṇa, about King Rāvaṇa. And Rāvaṇa had strength; he was so powerful that he could hold ten elephants. The ten elephants tried to run away, but the elephants did not even have the strength to pull him. He had so much strength. Rāvaṇa cut off his own head ten times with his own hands and offered it to Brahmā. For what? For one thing: he wanted to have eternal life, immortality. The tenth time, and every time he gave a head, the next head was already there. Every time, a new head grew immediately. And then Brahmā gave him a blessing, saying, "I cannot grant you eternal life. That is against my principles, against my dharma. But I give you nectar, immortality." And he said, "Do not tell anyone where it is. But I give it into your body." And he infused this immortality into his navel—ambrosia, the nectar of immortality. And he said, "No matter what happens, no one can kill you. No storms, no elements, no people, no animals, and so on. But only if someone attacks your navel, then that is the cause of your death." And so it was. And so Rāvaṇa means the ten-headed and elephant-powered—the power of ten elephants that he possessed. Thus, Ājñā Cakra means the power of our thoughts, the power of our will, imagination, and everything. And mastering this is what our Ājñā Cakra means. Being happy or unhappy—this is all a play of your Ājñā Cakra. Suddenly you think, "I am lonely. No one likes me. I have no money. I am ill. Yes, I have depression. I do not want to live anymore." Those are your own thoughts. Every thought is an injection for you. Like a volume, you are destroying yourself with negative thoughts. And the most positive thought would be: "I am alone. How wonderful that no one asks me, 'What have you done?' Happy, finally, alone. I am one with myself." A yogi is meditating in the park, and a pedestrian comes by who was somewhat, let’s say, conceited. And he thought, "This man is crazy. He is sitting under the tree. Either he is very, very lonely, sad, or the screws are loose. I am supposed to help you walk." So, the man goes there and says, "How are you?" "Good, thank you." "I thought you were lonely." He said, "Not anymore now." "What do you think?" "Yes, I was one with myself as long as they were not there. Now they have come and disturbed me. Now I am nothing, one with myself." He thought, "That’s right, he’s completely off." He said, "What are you doing here then?" He said, "Meditate." "What is this?" "It is like a prayer." "To whom?" "To God." "Who is God? Have you seen?" He said, "Yes." "I have seen nothing, but I know who God is." "What is He?" "God is the one who created all this. Everything. The entire creation. And God, who possesses us and who liberates us. He is omnipresent, omnipotent, the highest." "Aha. In these trees and everything, God has created it, has said, yes. Then, He is not perfect. He is not perfect. God has made many mistakes, do you know that?" "What? God made mistakes?" "Yes, yes, indeed. Have you not seen the sattva aspect of God?" He said, "No, God has no sattvas, because He is everywhere; He radiates light." "What do you think, did God make mistakes?" He said, "I can show it to you immediately, give an example." He said, "Please." "You are sitting under this beautiful large tree." He said, "Yes." "What kind of tree is it?" "A large cherry tree." "And did you see in those fields over there, what do you see there? There is something on the ground; it is yellow." He said, "Yes. Those are beautiful pumpkins. See how large they are?" He said, "Yes, already large. Ten kilos, fifteen kilos, some can be twenty kilos." "And how tall are the trees of the pumpkin?" He said, "There are no trees. It is just a plant lying on the ground." He said, "This is that." He said, "I have not understood them. What am I supposed to understand?" "The mistake of God," he said. "No, you see, this poor, small, delicate plant cannot even stand upright. And it bears such heavy, large fruits, melons. And a huge tree, it bears such small fruits. It is meant for great trees, great fruits, and also for small, small ones, that everyone can carry." The yogi said, "And is that all?" He was angry. "What does 'and and everything' mean? If you wish to know more, then come to me. I will teach you." He said, "God made no mistake. Shall I tell you something?" He said, "Yes." The yogi meditates and said, "Lord God, Alak Purījī, now please be merciful to him, the poor lost one in his thoughts. Help him to open his Ājñā Cakra." And a little cherry, a cherry tree has fallen on his head. From whom? From the man. And the man moves his hand like this. And the yogi says, "What happens? Ah, nothing at all, little fruit. Say nothing. Absolutely nothing. Reflect on what would be and what could have happened if 20 kilos of melon fell on your head. Then two melons would be broken. And from both would come red colors." He says, "Yes, in this case God is right." He thought, "Well, perhaps animals, humans, and other living beings will live in this tree and beneath the tree. One should grow melons or pumpkins? No one will sit. It was good that He left large melons lying on the ground. Thank you. We will see each other again." The yogi said, "Welcome warmly. Come to my Yoga and Day Life Center. I will pass it on to you." And so it is. Some people think, "This is God. He knows everything." He does not want to have a God. This and that. Does not need meditation. That is a misconception. One day it will come, and he will contemplate: "Have I wasted my time for nothing? But yes, I should have thought of God." So, there is a God. There is a supreme consciousness. And it is within us and beyond us. And we can realize Him only through the Ājñā Cakra—feelings in the heart and visions, the light in the Ājñā Cakra. The Ājñā Cakra is very important for us. Third Eye. Third Eye means the Eye of God. And the third eye means the light, the Self, divine light. And the third eye, our Ājñā Cakra, controls our entire existence—both physical activity and mental activity. So, the Ājñā Cakra, the seat is here, where we meditate. Alright, that was about the Ājñā Cakra today. And now we will have a fifteen-minute break, followed by questions. So, those who have questions, please write them down right away. Some questions require only a yes or no answer, while others need a bit more explanation. Health questions—yes, I can answer something, but that is a matter for a doctor. With yoga, we can overcome or heal some illnesses, but not everything. Some illnesses can be healed or overcome through, as mentioned, allopathic medicine or soul medicine, but not everything. That is a life situation, a destiny. This is Body Dharma. Dharma of our body. And the body has three Dharmas: to be born, to grow, and to die. And at some point, everything always grows old, dies. Every organ and every blood cell, our joints, have a lifespan. And sooner or later, they can no longer work or be like that. But still, please, you can ask specific questions about illnesses, and I will say yes or no or provide an explanation. So, enjoy!