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Part 1: The Path to Inner Peace: Yoga, Meditation, and Self-Knowledge A very good evening to you all. Today is a beautiful and special evening with a beautiful constellation—the day before the full moon. Avatārapurī is here. Today, memories have come to me of my first experiences in Carinthia over 35 years ago—how it was, how beautiful it was, and how it still remains beautiful. On the occasion of these 35 years, we have also left a beautiful symbol today: a peace tree planted between two schools, a gymnasium and a highly technical school. "Yoga in Daily Life" means living in harmony, balance, and bliss. Yoga is Yoga, and its copyright belongs to God Śiva, from the Satyayugas millions of years before, many, many centuries ago. Yoga is a science of the body, mind, and soul. These three are the instruments to experience knowledge of the entire universe. Many scientists want to fly to the Moon, Mars, and other planets. The first question is: for what purpose? The second is whether it will truly be as they imagine. But all of this is already in the Vedas. Scientists now speak of the sun having a kind of rupture or storm, as shown on television four days ago. That is exactly how it is stated in the Vedas. Even time is mentioned there. The Vedas state how old the sun is, how it was formed or created, and how many Yugas, Yugāntaras, Manvantaras, and Kalpas the sun has. I always tell those who ask that they should study the Vedas; then they will know everything. So far, nothing has been found that is not in the Vedas. The Vedas come from consciousness, cosmic consciousness—namely Śiva. This consciousness is called the divine Self. Śiva is not just a body. Śiva means liberation, truth, consciousness, bliss, love, and beauty. The mantras say: Satyam Śivam Sundaram. When Śiva manifested Himself at the beginning of the Satyayuga, He spent most of His time in meditation. When He closed His eyes, several thousand years passed. That means He Himself is the Universe. When He opened His eyes, He saw all the unrest in the world, everywhere, on every planet. Two types of energies have developed in the universe: Devī Śakti and Āsuri Śakti—divine or positive energy, and Āsuri or Rākṣasa, demonic energy. What is called Satan here. Since that time, these two forces have always been struggling, fighting, even now. It is said: Yataḥ Brahmāṇḍe tataḥ Piṇḍe—what exists in the infinite universe exists within the human body. In the blissful cosmic ocean, there are scriptures like suns, endless solar systems. The most important thing is that everything that exists in the entire universe exists within the human body. All nine planets are within our body—their qualities, attributes, and effects on our body, mind, and soul, and even effects beyond our existence. Which planet is friendly to others? There are situations when a certain person enters, and everyone thinks, "Oh God, why are they coming here?" At that moment, their aura, their inner planets, are not in harmony with the others. So, everything resides in the body. Astral travel means first making a journey within your own existence, within your own phenomenon. Do you know yourself? Are you aware of what is happening in the body? Which cakras, energy centers? Where is the seat of the soul? Where is the seat of the ātman? And where is the seat of consciousness? Where is the mind? Where does the intellect exist? Where is our memory stored? Who wanders off into dreams? There is so much. Meditation is the path to oneself. "Self" has two meanings. First and foremost, the highest Self, the divine Self, which has no form. It is infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, ever-present. There is only one God, and that is the All-Pervasive. We call it Brahman. That is why in the Upaniṣads, the Vedas, and many ancient scriptures, there are no names of incarnations, no names of a personal God. But it is stated in which Yugas which incarnation will come. Twenty-three incarnations have already occurred, according to the Vedas, and a twenty-fourth is to come. The end of the Kali Yuga is coming—this time we call the dark age or the iron age. When this Kali, Kali Yuga, Kali Avatāra will come, then this Kali Yuga will end and the Satya Yuga, the time of truth, will begin. All these Yugas are within our inner Self. Truth is within us, falsehood is within us, pain, sorrow, our own mistakes. Some think, "I have, we have enough knowledge." That is a sign of fear. Fear means no self-confidence. No self-confidence means ignorance. Ignorance means suffering. Suffering means endless pain, and this infinite pain is eternal suffering, repetition. Therefore, know thyself—who are you? Recognize your Self. We are perfect peace, harmony, and tranquility. Just as Śiva withdraws and sits in the Himalayas, on Mount Kailāsa, a peace radiates from His body. He is in perfect peace. So, peace. So, meditation. First, a journey into your inner cells and into peacefulness. Whoever undertakes the inner journey learns to open their third eye. Although they are inside, they see every movement of everything. In which chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā is it said: "Mamme vāśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ"? Avatārapurī knows more than I do. That is why he is sitting here, so I can ask him. The fifth chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā: "Mamme vāśo jīvaloke jīvabhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ". When inner Self-realization or this peace has been realized, then one's consciousness is anchored to all living beings, everywhere. Then you know who does what. That is a bit uncomfortable, isn't it? If someone knows what I am doing. But that is it. Those who know do not say that they know. Those who say they know mean they do not know. The knower possesses knowledge, and it is steady knowledge. One needs equal vision. If one departs from these bodies and dies, then the suffering does not count. "My God, who will take my money from my bank? That was my car. Who will take my car and how will they drive it? My God, who will walk my dog? My dog will suffer because my husband is so lazy. He doesn’t get up early in the morning." All these feelings are gone. All this duality, this worldly discomfort. Thank you. And so, the inner peace is within us. How do I meditate then? How do I attain this inner peace? Inner peace means the universe, unity, without fear, without dualism, without doubt, and without expectations. Beautiful balance. Thus the Yogi sits in unity with peace. Peace is within. It does not come from outside. We cannot buy peace. Maybe that would be easier, but I am looking for the supermarket where peace is found. Nowhere can we encounter peace except within. So joy, love, devotion—these are Universal Values, and they can only be realized. They cannot be bought from anywhere else. Now comes how I meditate. Well said, beautifully said, but how do we get there? In Yoga, Yoga in Daily Life, Kāya Sthairyam—first, master your body. Vikāra Rahita Śarīraḥ—a body without vikāra, without all these diseases, impurities, pains, and discomfort, should be purified through Yoga. Remaining pure, remaining comfortable in āsana—Sthira āsana. Sthira means immovable. Here we have a glass of water. Unfortunately, it is not a transparent glass, but there is water inside. As long as the glass remains on an immovable base, the water inside does not move. Is the water moving inside? As soon as I hold it, it moves. As long as our bodies sit comfortably, without pain or any unpleasant sensations... The glass is the body and the water is our mind. If the body moves, the mind moves. If the body is calm, completely still and motionless, the mind is also completely calm. Now, something has fallen into this glass. If the water is moving, I cannot see exactly where this small piece lies. If my glass does not move and the water is motionless, now I see where this small piece of gold lies. As long as our mind is restless, sad, in pain, passionate, angry, hateful, greedy, and so on, we will not discover our inner Self. This little piece of gold is peace. If we cannot even see it, cannot even know what it is, we cannot realize peace. And so, the very first path to oneself comes through energy and posture. There is a body posture. Posture and breathing exercise. How is it with the breathing exercise? This is a great healing for the instrument. Now Avatārapurījī can show us how to attune ourselves to this instrument for meditation. Okay, that is not good; it is sharp. So, you can go there and sit on the floor. Yes, very good. Oh, good. I will see how long you remain in peace. Okay? Very good. And the legs inside, like Vajrāsana. Knees on the flap. How are you? Yes, very good. And then comes this Prāṇāyāma. What is the Prāṇāyāma like? That is Prāṇāyāma. How does one practice Prāṇāyāma? The mouth is closed, yes? And the eyes are closed. So, inhale through the left and exhale through the right. Inhale on the left, Pūraka inhale. Exhale on the right, Rechaka exhale. Exhalation means to breathe out, and inhalation means to breathe in. Very good, thank you. Now you can go and see what is happening in the little room and then come back, okay? Or relax there. That is called Yogadhyāna. Now, I would like to lead a breathing exercise. If I hold my hand like this for 15 or 20 minutes, after 2-3 minutes it is... Part 2: A Guided Meditation on Inner Peace Our shoulder is tired and wants to let the hand sink down, or hold it like this, or stay like this. That is not ideal, and therefore it is supported. So perhaps we try this technique for entering meditation. Place two fingers—the index and middle finger—on the forehead between the center of the eyebrows, not too high and not too low. With the thumb of your right hand, please, gently press the side of the right nostril a little. Now, slowly inhale deeply through the left nostril and close the left nostril with the ring finger. Then, exhale through the right nostril. This means releasing the thumb, inhaling through the right nostril, closing the left nostril, and exhaling through the left nostril. Inhale through the left, slowly exhale through the right. Inhale through the right and exhale through the left. Inhale through the right nostril, close the left nostril with the ring finger, and exhale through the right. Inhale only through the right nostril, closing it with the thumb, and exhale through the left nostril. Now, breathe in very slowly and consciously, and listen very closely to the sounds of your breath. Energy flows very subtly. Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale. Inhale, exhale, and now slowly place your hand back on your knees. Keep your eyes closed, relax. Eyes are closed, both hands resting comfortably on the thighs or knees. Relax. Relax the entire body. Relax your entire body from toes to head and from head to toes. Just relax. Relax your shoulders, elbows, neck. Relax your facial muscles. Relax your lips. Relax your back and abdominal muscles. Be completely consciously relaxed. The body is completely comfortable, motionless, and relaxed. Now we bring our attention to our breathing process. Yes, I know that I breathe in, I know that I breathe out. Breathing is my life, and my life breathes. I breathe in cosmic energy, and I breathe out all toxins, all energies from my body. My entire body breathes, not only through the nose but through the whole body. Relax, relax. I feel completely comfortable. I am very relaxed. I am one with my Self. I gladly take time for my own self. The whole day is over. I have worked a lot, both physically and mentally. And now it is time for me. Time for me to relax. It is time for me to relax. And now observe your breathing process inwardly. During the inhalation, the entire torso stretches outward, and during the exhalation, the entire torso contracts again. Relax inwardly. Relax inwardly and now try to feel your inner peace. Yes, within me is an ocean of peace. Within me is an ocean of peace, infinite oceans. I exist, and my existence is nothing but peace. Relax, relax, relax inwardly. Be one with yourself. Peace is my path, and peace is the path to others. Peace is a bridge between me and others. The power, the strength of this bridge is my pure love as forgiveness, compassion, and selflessness. Peace is light, the truth. She shows me unity with God, the Supreme Self. And I wish this peace for the whole world and for the entire universe. With these feelings as ambassadors of peace, bringers of peace, as peace itself, I try to extrovert in this world and beyond this world. May all live in peace. Peace in vegetation, peace in herbs, medicinal herbs, peace in water, peace in air, peace in space, peace in the hearts of all living beings. May there be peace on all levels. May there be peace in my intellect, in my words, in my actions, and in my influence. Peace, disgrace. And now consciously feel your legs and hands, how relaxed they are, also still. Both legs, feet pulling, heels, calves, knees, thighs, hips, back, abdominal muscles, entire torso, shoulders, elbows, upper arms. And arm, palm, fingers, entire body. Feel and imagine your face as you see it in the mirror. Yes, my breath, entire body. From your existence, physical and mental, be aware. And now inwardly affirm the light and peace throughout the entire world. And now we breathe in and out deeply, inhaling and exhaling slowly and deeply a few times. Inhale, inhale, breathe deeply and sing along with me, three times. Three times with German language. Now, move your fingers, move your hands, fold your palms together and rub them, place your hands on your face, and open your eyes. So, that was a little meditation to discover inner peace. And every day, the practice of prāṇāyāma is very important. Two to three minutes is too little. Practicing breath for twenty-five to forty minutes is a divine blessing for our body. The body is thoroughly cleansed of all toxins. And therefore we need this prāṇāyāma. The body remains upright. The hand is comfortable. The posture does not become stiff or tired; it keeps the body upright because the hand supports the entire back, the two fingers support our head, and how beautiful that feeling is. During meditation, we place our Pranām stick here and meditate. It can happen, it is physical, suddenly there is an itch somewhere. If I take the stick and do this, I scratch my back and lie down there. Or if one-sided, the knee hurts a little, it is not entirely comfortable, then I place this stick a little below my knees. It is such a pleasant feeling. And when the master or yoga teacher speaks for too long and we are tired, we can sit like this and listen. Like the students on the table. It is so pleasant to sit. And there is an exercise, the candle-tatak exercise for Haṭha-Yoga Kriyās, which Umapuri or your teacher instructs you in Haṭha-Yoga. So I place my trunk here, and here I place a small T-candle, and I light this T-candle and begin my candle meditation. And we are full of love and peace. Even if someone sits next to you and is restless and makes noise, I would say, be calm. So one could say Peace Tribe, and that repairs the restlessness of the other. So, meditation—you can only truly meditate when you are able to relax completely inwardly, to purify yourself, when there are no vṛttis present; this is very important. And, very important, perform Śaṅkha Prakṣālana twice a year. Who among you knows what Śaṅkha Prakṣālana is? Please raise your hand. Only those from Carinthia, not others please, those from Carinthia and Villach. Who knows about Śaṅkha Prakṣālana? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven. That is the typical Carinthian. Only one, and then as if someone is hopeful there. So one goes, and then the second. Very well, Śaṅkha Prakṣālana. Inner peace and meditation. A saint who wrote many poems and bhajans is named Kabīrdāsa. And Kabīrdāsa says, hunger or stomach pain or unpleasant sensations in the belly. Hunger is like a dog that is very hungry and it won’t let you meditate at all. Give him something to eat, then he will be calm and you can meditate peacefully. So, the abdomen is the main cause of many, many diseases. And therefore it is very important to practice Śaṅkha Prakṣālana, Kunjalakriyā, Naulikriyā, and Agnisārakriyā. And I do not know what the theme of the weekend is, but we will fully demonstrate all these techniques in practice. It would be good if the topic is given tomorrow? Let’s see. Okay. Make me, wherever, make me an instrument of your peace. So, we will be an instrument. Okay? So, we will reflect very, very deeply and go within our Self to see how our body can assist us. So, meditation has multiple meanings, multiple purposes, but the very first is inner peace. And when a yogi meditates, a peace radiates. Such a pleasant peace. Now, restlessness and peace are mutually dependent. As soon as someone is restless and others have peace, it doesn’t matter at all. But whoever has peace and restlessness will become even more angry. And that is, the man meditates and the woman becomes restless. And she says, how much longer will you sit there with your eyes closed? And even more. So, become good man and woman, both together. Such peace is found in meditation. Now there is a very simple meditation. Very simple. Sit both together, your husband and wife. Where? At the dining table. Or in the living room with the sofa. Light a candle. And for a few minutes, I will try to speak a few words to you in harmony with understanding and engage with you. This is a peaceful atmosphere. How wonderful, every man wishes that his wife has time to speak peacefully. Or every woman wishes that her husband has time for her and speaks with her peacefully. So, this is also a meditation. Meditation, but you sit at the dining table, peacefully and pleasantly, and say, it tastes good, it is very good, thank you. Not eating and talking, you did this and that was not right, are you stupid and you are... There are many disputes. So, meditation does not simply mean closing your eyes and sitting. Going for a walk is also a meditation. Active and passive meditation. We can also practice active meditation beautifully. So with children, with families, with colleagues, without anyone at all. Beautiful. Walk peacefully with your dog. This is also an inner peace. And many people who go for walks with dogs think so much about a particular problem. And they receive an answer, because the dog does not demand an answer or anything from this man. He walks around, and the man or woman walks peacefully along and has the time to reflect. Why did my husband say that to me? What did he do yesterday? Where was he? Well, that is his problem. The main thing is that he is happy and content. Sometimes thoughts, questions, and answers arise simultaneously during meditation because there is a peaceful atmosphere. Or one sits in the garden, we have beautiful flowers in the garden here in Carinthia, God gives so much water here, and you see how a peaceful butterfly flies from one flower to another, harmonizing. He has a bee, how beautifully it comes and peacefully takes the honey and goes. She brings peace pouches and fills them with nectar before bringing them back. So active, creative, peace. Where there is peace, even the vegetation is calm. Those who have no peace and feel, "I am strong, I have money and all that," that is fear. And it radiates fear because a lion is coming into the forest. They say, does the lion roar? All living beings become fearful because it radiates fear. And when a bird sings beautifully, then all the birds listen or pay attention. So sing Om once. Afterwards, I thought how beautifully the sound of peace resonated throughout the entire forest. Those who have inner peace, have energy, and radiate it outward. So, we will continue tomorrow. Thank you for the lovely invitation and for this beautiful evening. And organizers, dearest, dearest, thank you, I wish you peace in your hearts. Peace is within ourselves. Peace is within ourselves. Peace begins from our own self. So, I wish you all much, much peace. Om Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ.