Podcast details
Do it Yourself
The path of selfless action purifies inner karma through simple service. Removing a thorn or stone from a road is seva, clearing your own karmic obstacles. Creating bad karma is equally simple, like discarding glass that harms animals who cannot seek aid. Pain, whether from a nail or toothache, causes universal restlessness, destroying concentration. Only two cannot sleep: the yogi, longing for God, and the patient, longing for relief. One who sleeps is the bhogī, immersed in worldly pleasure without knowledge. You have the freedom to choose your path. Success in spiritual practice comes from skillful action. Performing seva requires personal effort, not delegation. Whether in agriculture, love, prayer, or scratching an itch, happiness comes from doing it yourself. Every action, from practice to speech, is for you alone. Speaking negatively ensures it spreads and returns to you. Skillful action makes spiritual practice successful.
"Yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam." If you practice Karma Yoga, you will be successful in yoga sādhanā.
"Jo sukha chāhē prāṇī, hāthō hātha sambhāla"—if you want happiness from these things, do it yourself.
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
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:
- Yoga in Daily Life - The System
Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda. Ibera Verlag, Vienna, 2000. ISBN 978-3-85052-000-3 - The Hidden Power in Humans - Chakras and Kundalini
Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda. Ibera Verlag, Vienna, 2004. ISBN 978-3-85052-197-0 - Lila Amrit - The Divine Life of Sri Mahaprabhuji
Paramhans Swami Madhavananda. Int. Sri Deep Madhavananda Ashram Fellowship, Vienna, 1998. ISBN 3-85052-104-4
