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A Week's End at the Ashram: From Source to Practice

A concluding satsang and lecture for a week-long yoga seminar at an ashram.

"As Swāmījī said, mental pollution is the biggest pollution in the whole universe."

"Therefore, do not criticize anyone or anything. If your stomach is full, it means not that everyone's stomach is full."

A speaker addresses attendees and a webcast audience on the final day of a seminar at the Strilky Ashram. The talk reflects on receiving wisdom from the Master, Swāmījī, and then shifts to a discourse on the relationship between yoga's theory and practice. The speaker cautions against reducing yoga to mere physical exercise, discusses the importance of Svādhyāya (self-study and scriptural study), and uses anecdotes and teachings from the Bhagavad Gītā to emphasize that the body is an instrument for spiritual achievement, not the ultimate goal.

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

Dear friends around the world, dear yoga brothers and sisters, and all friends of yoga in daily life. Today is the last day of the first week in the beautiful ashram, Strilky, in the Czech Republic. We had the great privilege to be with our Master, Swāmījī. You know, water flows on the earth, but it comes from a source. We need water to be nourished on our physical level, but also on our mental and spiritual level. It is easy to be nourished on the physical level, but on the mental and spiritual level, it is more difficult. Because often the spiritual and mental water we are drinking is polluted. As Swāmījī said, mental pollution is the biggest pollution in the whole universe. In these days here, we had the great privilege to be connected to the source of the water. Swāmījī is connected to the source of the universe, to the source of wisdom, through the Guru Paramparā. Through this light of the Guru Paramparā, Śrī Alakpurījī Siddhāpīṭh Guru Paramparā, He sent the light to all of us, physically here and over the webcast to all of you, telling us again and again: be pure, be good. Be in the light, spread the light, be aware of purity, and try to realize spirituality, which is crystal-clear purity. We need this purification through the Guru Vākya. When we go out now, again, we will be in a different universe, you can say. But we will take the light, the wisdom, and the love from our Master with us. If we cannot change the world, we can always change ourselves, and that is what Swāmījī is telling us again and again: change yourself. So, if we have to say thank you and goodbye to Swāmījī for this time, and if we want to give him a present... the thanks is not on the physical, material level, but inside. Let us make a Saṅkalpa, a decision. Let's take a decision. Yes, Swāmījī, we heard your divine words, and we'll try from all our hearts to do our best to send the light into the world, to be good, to think good, to act good, so that love and peace will radiate inside of us and outside. So, let us close for one minute, just close your eyes, and please, if you can, make a wish, a Saṅkalpa, and give it as a present of thanks to Swāmījī. Please present it as an expression of gratitude to Swāmījī. Oṁ tryambakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭivardhanam. Urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyormukṣīya māmṛtāt. Nāhaṁ kartā prabhu-dīpa-kartā, mahā-prabhu-dīpa-kartā, kevalam oṣadhi-śāṣā. Siddhīpā Narama Guṇā Kīchā, Sisi Alakpurī Jīma Deva Kīchā, Siddhi Deva, Īśvarama Deva Kī Jaya. Hindu Dharma Samrāṭ Sadguru Swāmī Madhavānanda Bhagavān Kī Jaya. Viśva Guru Mamandaleśvara Paramahaṁsawāmī Aśvarananjī Guru Deva Kī Jaya. Siddhi Deva Eśvarama Deva Kī Jaya, Viśva Guru Mamandaleśvara Paramahaṁsvāmī Aśvarananjī Guru Deva Kī Jaya. Juka juka jīva Maheśvara Nanda, juka juka jīva Maheśvara Nanda. Vipadāya gaṇyavā kaṇḍaṇḍa. Triyapa, kapha, jīva, Īśvara, Nanda. Jigyāna ro yoga sādhanā, Brahma jñāna sukha sandhāna. Jigyāna ro yoga sādhanā, Brahma jñāna sukha khaṇḍa. Viśva vijayī ho, Viśva vijayī ho, Jīva Māyeśvarānanda. Praṇām Pādāyaśī Prabhutī Upāsanā majakāra sabhāgo Karte ho nirbandha Nirbandha Viśva khaṇḍa Viśva khaṇḍa Juka juka jīva Māyeśvarānanda jukka jukka jīvam Īśvarānanda rabudipa śiṣyukka jīvam Īśvarānanda. Jukka Jukka Jīvam, Aiśvaryānanda Pūje, Bhagavān Dīpanārāyaṭe, Aneśaṅgam, Aśirī Bhagavān, Aneśaṅgam, Jukka Jukka Jīvam, Aiśvaryānanda, Jukka Jukka Jīvam, Aiśvaryānanda. I never know what the time is, because every watch shows a different time. Here I have 11:22, and on my mobile I have 11:10. So which is correct? Welcome again to Kailash Hall of Śrī Mahāprabhū Deep Satsaṅg Foundation, Āśram Strelky, Czech Republic. Many blessings to our friends around the world. It was nice to be with you, also through the webcast. This program today is the last lecture for this week's seminar. But at 5:30, there will be a webcast with our dear Hemlata on "Yoga and Daily Life," about yoga and physiotherapy. What can we do best if we have some problem with our knees? You know, where we need a needle, we don't need an axe. And where we need an axe, a needle can't work. Therefore, there are certain problems in the knees which cannot be solved or cured through exercises. There are major anatomical changes, and we need a kind of scissor, and hammer, and knife, and saw. Thanks to modern medicine, you just relax like this. You can look if you want, or they can put a curtain in front of you, and you can read a newspaper. So, that's called technology: theory and practice together. We need perfect theory, and according to that, perfect technique. When the theory and practice have different contradictions, then things are not successful. Similarly, in yoga also, theory and practice. In yoga, in Rāja Yoga, in Yama and Niyama, which are the first two steps? When you master this, then you can proceed further. You see, this tree has beautiful and strong roots and a foundation. Now, you don't want these roots and foundation. You shape the tree and hold that, "I want to have a tree in the sky hanging." Yes, it's possible. You need a strong crane, and you have a dry log hanging. That's it. Forget there will be leaves, blossoms, fruits. Forget it. Similarly, people who only believe in physical exercise, twisting body only, stretching body only, that's not everything. And you know, it's human psychology, human weakness, human feelings. We made an experiment with yoga teachers. The yoga teacher goes with a beautiful car like this. We had a yoga teacher about 35 years old. He has been, from the beginning, kind of a bodybuilder or climber, cycling. He has good thigh muscles, calf muscles, buttocks, and shoulder muscles, shoulder muscles, and stomach, and his waist is a little thin. And now he began to teach yoga. Of course, he did not want to have yoga dress, something tight. And he had so much success. He had a waiting list. And mostly girls are there. Why not? They are also human. So those ladies or boys, they think, "Through yoga, I will be like that." Also, there are some girls who are sporty: swimming, running, and doing some other exercises, and a yoga teacher. About 27 years, and she has a whole room full of people. Of course, more men. Why not? They are also human. They also would like to have salvation. Then, the second experiment we made was with an elderly person. Like we had a Yogananda, unfortunately he passed away, or our Kriyananda. Or our dear Gāyatrī, Eva, Andresik. They are a little old. Our Kriyananda is 85 years old. But when he gives the class, the hall is full. Why? Because they would like to know how he reached 85 years. Why? Because he or she is the example. That's it. And then we had the third experiment, or the fourth. Someone who comes to yoga class like this, with a double chin, should relax first. So there are three people, or four, or two. So, it means that we should be an example. We can lie, but our body doesn't lie. This is it, unfortunately. It's a pity, no? Our body tells you the answer. So this is one part of yoga. People believe that I will become very beautiful and nice and 100% healthy. Yes, it is true, but that is not the aim. That's only physical training. We call it a physical instructor or trainer. PTI, Physical Training Inspector, or instructor. They are employed by the government in these schools. What you call a sport leader. Now, these people who are only stretching the body, torturing the body, there is another thing: they declare themselves like great gurus. In one way, yes, but only for the body. But the guru is something different. The second part is like many, many classical yogas: Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, Swami Kevalānanda of Lonavla, Yoga in Daily Life, and many other serious schools. And they are still very successful. You see, when you are healthy, you say it's chemical, it's medicine. Oh God, horror. Antibiotics, doctors. You go to the health food store. Oh yeah, this is healthy, this is good, this is for blood cleaning, this is that, this is... And you take this, and you don't use any medicine, don't go to the doctor. Because you are still not ill. That is supplementary, psychologically. Better than nothing, it has a good effect. Now, suddenly, you had a car accident, or they found a cancer. Now, where will the rabbit run? In which direction? To the doctor, whom you didn't like, and tell the doctor, "Please save my life." Therefore, do not criticize anyone or anything. If your stomach is full, it means not that everyone's stomach is full. It doesn't mean that everyone else has a full stomach. Maybe they are still hungry. Many people go there in the name of yoga or Āyurveda. And it's ridiculous. But the serious ones who are searching the path to the divine, the path to self-realization, the awakening of the divine consciousness, they search for the Gurudeva, and they will find. So, from the viewpoint of your exercises, it's okay. But what will you do with this? Okay, you will be able to move quickly. You will be able to eat two more pizzas per day, or three ice creams. That's all. But why are you torturing your body? That's a beautiful poem: "Mati kahe kumhāro, tū kyā rundem hohe? Ek din aisā āegā, maiṁ runduṅgī, toj." Clear? That's right. So one saint, a wise person was walking, going through villages, and he saw one man. He was a potter, making pots out of clay. So he brought the black clay and was mixing it with some powdered grass, and he was putting it in the water and squeezing it. And then he was taking the whole lump of the earth and throwing it on the stone, and again rolling it together, and then again throwing it on the stones. Like you are making a bread loaf. The sādhu was standing there and looking. And then he concentrated on the clay. How this earth must be feeling, and that earth was screaming, and earth was saying to the potter, "Mati kahe kumhāro, the earth or the clay was saying, 'Potter, tū kyā rundem hohe? What are you torturing me?' It will come one day. I will torture you in me. In the earth, under the earth." Understand? Similarly, why are you torturing your body? What are you doing, ego? Proudness. I am young. I am big muscles. I am strong. I am beautiful. How long? Wait a minute. You are that mouse who is entering the room, but the cat of death is waiting behind the door. Therefore, human life is given for the achievement of the divine. There is God. Yes, we trust there is God. And the Americans have very nicely written on their money. Though we have money, you know. Americans say, but when they get a dollar in their hand, they say, "Dollar, you are not so important. We don't trust in you, money. We trust in God." Right? Am I right or wrong? Otherwise, you can give me some dollars, and I will look and show you. So, we trust in God. There is God, but they didn't say which God. So this is the teaching of Vedānta. This is called in Vedānta, in Hinduism, there is only one God: Brahm, Īśvara, the Almighty without any form. But from time to time, some part of His energy incarnates here, which have the same energy, same power. Therefore, we do trust in God. We trust in his creation. We respect and we shall protect His creation. But we should know what it means to be a human. And what I should do and what I should not do as a human. And what I should not do as a human being. And therefore, God Kṛṣṇa said, "Yoga Karamsukoshlam, O Arjuna, your yoga exercise and your yoga will be successful while doing good things." That yogī who will realize me, and according to the Krishna's teaching or Bhagavad Gītā's teaching, there are eighteen different kinds of yoga. Not only these four, what we call karma, bhakti, rāja, and jñāna yoga. But there are more, or many others. Therefore, maybe one believes God is omniscient. Maybe someone believes in God as a personal God. And both are explained by Krishna in the 12th chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā. Where Arjuna is asking. In this 12th chapter, it is saying, "O Lord, some bhaktas are adoring and worshipping you as a personal god," the five elements. And some as nirākār, formless. Which is the best way to worship, and which will realize you quickly? The Lord says, "Arjuna, both are the best, but persons who are in this five-element body, with these indriyas and intellect—indriyāṇi, manas, emotions, intellect—" For you, it would be better to go through that form with which you can speak, that which you can see, touch, feel, and so on. Nirākār, you can speak and speak, there is no answer. That only when you reach the Jñāna Yoga level, then you will see one in all and all in one. All are in one Nirākār. And Nirākār is in all. The 15th chapter: "O Arjuna, I live in every entity, and all are my essence, my self." So in Rāja Yoga, Yama and Niyama are very clearly described: svādhyāya, study. Now svādhyāya has two meanings. One, śva means the self, your self. Adhyāya is a chapter. Study what is your chapter. In this life, how many chapters did you begin? How many did you finish? And how many did you not finish or could not finish? How many chapters closed, and how many chapters opened? That is your inner mirror in your Cidākāśa that you can see. And you... Couldn't finish your chapter because of your own mistake. Ego, anger, anger is that axe which can cut a chip of the mighty tree, and ego is that solid material, iron. Ambition is that blacksmith, and krodha again is that fire in that anger, that metal has been burned and trained. To cut off your mighty tree of your spirituality come Krodha, but the love of Moha, Ahaṅkāra. Moha is so strong, even sometimes one is ready to give up life, just crying for something. There is one story, but I will not tell you. I will tell you when you are sitting alone with me. So Svādhyāya, the history of your life, and at the end of the life, your chapters will be opened one after another. Yama Dūta, the messenger of the dead, called Yama, will come and take you. When I first saw the name of the moped called Yamaha, I made a praṇām. And I said, "Yamadeva, please go to the showroom." And that one says, you know, we do prepare the organ. Donating. So they are donors of the organs. I said, "But please keep distance from me." So Yama will come if you have bad karmas. Or devas will come if you have good karmas. And the same thing, it is said in European culture, angels will come to take you, or the devils. Who decides that? No, your chapters, that is your permanent evidence in that record of Dharmarāja. Dharmarāja means king of justice, and Yamarāja is king of the dead, and both they are very correct. Dharmarāja opened the chapter and said, "Mr. Zed immediately should be brought here." So King Yama said, "We have a majority. Should we send?" Yama, the Dharmarāja, said, "No, Devas will go." So, good or bad karmas, the chapter will be opened at that time. Your evidence will never die. You can't delete your evidence. Therefore, or second, when you meditate and you realize, Svādhyāya, meditate, and what is your inner picture from our birth till now? Now, here you have a chance to change the chapter or to understand and close it. Still in your hands, this is Svādhyāya. The second Svādhyāya means study, and there are two kinds of study: the study for this material world, the physical world, from nursery school till university, which is very important too. And the second Svādhyāya is the spiritual literature, and in both there is a technique. So both have technique, very clearly written. There is a medical book, let's say, for brain surgery, a thick book. Many, many professors and very, very good surgeons. They made experience, they got discussions, they made a conference, and they made operations, and they are writing their experiences. Many professors, experienced surgeons, have that experience in the study, they did operations, they organized conferences, they discussed it, and then they wrote this book. Which instruments are good for that, and so on. Theory, transparent. Now, your father has a brain tumor. You read this book, theory with practice. You go and buy the instruments, and, "Dear father, lie down. I will open your..." Will you do it? And will your father allow it? No. Therefore, theory is not enough. And that's why some Europeans say tons of theory is nothing compared with a grain of practice. So, though you understand the instruments, you understand the medicine, and you have seen everything, and you study six years of medicine. Still, the professor or your teacher, the doctor, will not allow you to make an operation alone. Work under your professor. He is your surgery guru, that's it. Similarly, theory cannot liberate you. All the śāstras, they inspire us. They show us the way. They awake the feelings inside, and then you search for the masters, and who can guide you. And then practice. Therefore, svādhyāya is very important. Whenever you have a problem, any kind of problem, take the holy book and read it. Vedas, Upaniṣads, Rāmāyaṇa, Gītā, Bible, Koran. Read without a narrow mind. Try to understand that Guru Vakya. Who was Jesus? Jesus was known as the Master. And he had twelve very close disciples. That's why it's called the Gospel of the Master, and Gospel means Upaniṣad. So, the word is coming from the Upaniṣads. And Upanishad means the disciple sitting near the master and listening to the wisdom. Now, this is Upanishad, what I'm telling you. Up means near. And sād means disciple. That sat means the truth. The real, the good disciples, Uttama, sit near the master. And every instruction, every word, every look is inspiration. That's called Upaniṣad. And so those who understood, they are living still. Who was the Krishna? Guru of his disciples. He had many female disciples. Out of that one was Rādhā, who understood him more. And many, many gopīs, his disciples. That was Arjuna, one of the best. Who understood him? Krishna is Ātmā, and the gopīs are indriyas, and gopīs are vṛttis. Arjuna is mind, and so the entire thing is in our body. Therefore, only physical exercise, Haṭha Yoga only, it will keep your body good but will not give you liberation. It will keep your body good, but it will not give you liberation. And that is not the guru, thanks to whose blessing one attains liberation. Many, many lives, then you come to that point that someone declares you that you are a guru, not that you are declaring yourself. Then you come to that phase, when someone else declares you as a guru, and no, it is not so that you yourself declare that you are a guru. The one who is great never speaks great about himself or herself. The great one never says that I am the president of the country. What do you think? The one who is really great will never say, "I am the president." What do you think of him at all? Rahim Rahim Das, the poet, Rahim Das, his name, he said, "When does a diamond tell us that I am a diamond and my value is millions?" Diamond never speaks. It's we who say, "Oh, this is diamond." Quality. So develop your quality. Then they will say, "Oh, this is the master," or, "This is a good teacher," or, this is a good disciple. Therefore, practice. I wish you all the best, good journey, and this evening at satsaṅg, 8 o'clock, you will have a welcoming program for the new group, and at 5:30 there will be exercises, webcasts, against knee problems, hip joint problems. Ankles are in problem, so those who have interest, they should come to our dear Hemlata's course. And it will be very nice, and I think it will be there under the trees. Okay? That's beautiful. That's called Hanumanjī Garden. Very nice. So, I wish you a good journey. And that's what I wanted to try to make a difference between theory and practice. And the body is not everything, but everything is nothing without the body. So the body is very important, but it is only an instrument. That's it. So bless you. All the best. If anyone has questions, please write to the website. Śānti, Śānti, Siddhi Prarāyaṇa Bhagavānakī, Dev Puruṣa Mahādeva, Mādhava Kṛṣṇa Bhagavānakī, Sanātana Dharma, Oṁ.

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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