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Dīpaṁ Brahma Dīpaṁ Sarve Mohanaṁ Dīpanaṁ | Sajāte Sarvaṁ Sandhyā Dīpaṁ Sarvaṁ Satyam || Oṁ Brahmanandam Paramasukhadam Kevalaṁ Jñānamūrtim | Dvandvātītaṁ Gaganasadṛśaṁ Tasmai Sādyalākṣyam | Ekaṁ Nityaṁ Vimalamachalaṁ Sarvādhiṣākṣibhūtaṁ | Bhāvātītaṁ Trigunarahitaṁ Satgurutvaṁ Namāmyaham || Oṁ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ || Devīśvara Mahādeva Kī Jai. Salutations to the Cosmic Light, the Lord of our hearts, omniscient and omnipresent. In His divine presence, a very good evening to all dear devotees of Śrī Mahāprabhujī, Devapurījī, and our beloved Holy Gurujī. I welcome all of you here in the ashram of our beloved Gurujī in the beautiful capital city of Austria, Vienna. To all dear devotees around the world who are listening now, I send you my best wishes and the blessings of Gurudev, Bhagavān Siddhi, Nārāyaṇa Mahāprabhujī. We will be here together the whole weekend. The subject of this weekend program, or workshop, is spiritual development for the realization of Ātma Jñāna. Out of the 8.4 million different creatures, human life has a golden opportunity to attain this realization. As long as we do not have this realization, we will not come out of the cycle of rebirth and death. It is not certain that a human will be born again as a human. Our life is very precious, and a limited time has been given to every creature. It is said that the day will be counted as the life of a human on the day when you meet a holy person. Also, it is said that time is lost which you spend without thinking of God or on spirituality. It is not that you only sit down and meditate; we should be aware 24 hours, and every thought and every action should be done in God-consciousness. Then our spirituality will develop continuously. You have to be very faithful to God. It is said that if you are not faithful, God will not accept your devotion. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is only pleased and will be happy with you if you have that truth, that true love. Swami Gajānanjī was singing one bhajan about Mīrābāī. We need a love for God, unconditional love. Our aim is to realize our divine Self. The soul is not the divine Self. The soul is individual, but Ātmā is universal. We know that we are existing as an individual soul, and we know that the soul is bound by karmas. Each and every thought, each and every action which you do through the ten indriyas—the five jñānendriyas and the five karmendriyas—each action which you do through your emotion, the mind, and your intellect, all will be affecting your freedom, your soul. Therefore, it is said that human life is given to protect all creatures, love God's creation, and attain self-realization, Mokṣa, Amaratattva. I remember one beautiful story which I would like to tell. Once upon a time, in the mighty Himalayas, was the holy throne of Lord Śiva, Mount Kailāśa. Mount Kailāśa is the holy seat of Lord Śiva. It is said that Pārvatī and Śiva were living there. One day, Lord Śiva went for some vihāra. Vihāra means to walk and to have Ekānta Vāsa—to be alone somewhere and have meditation. Now the question can be: for what does Śiva meditate? Śiva Himself is meditation. Śiva means consciousness. Śiva means liberation. Śiva means truth. Śiva means bliss. Śiva means love. Śiva means beauty: Satyam Śivam Sundaram. But Lord Śiva is still meditating on the cosmic body of God Viṣṇu. On the other side, what is happening? God Viṣṇu is constantly meditating and praying. Lord Viṣṇu is known as the Lord of the entire universe. Like God Kṛṣṇa said in the Bhagavad Gītā: "Arjuna, nothing is impossible for me in this universe. Everything I can have, what I wish, but still I am doing karma. I am working, and all the fellow humans will do what I did." Therefore, even God is meditating and praying. Lord Viṣṇu is meditating on the immortal and divine form of Lord Śiva as pure consciousness, as pure light, as the ultimate truth, as the only reality of the universe. Lord Śiva was sitting on a beautiful rock, and he was one with Himself. At that time, a great sage, Nārada Ṛṣi, came to Pārvatī. He came and made his prostration, and with folded hands he said, "My adoration to thee, O Universal Mother." Pārvatī asked Nārada, "For what did you come here? What can I do for you?" The great Nārada asked one question: "O Universal Mother Pārvatī, beauty of the universe, the beauty of the cosmos, I have one question. Why does Lord Śiva wear around his neck a garland of skulls?" Pārvatī said, "Well, Nārada, I didn't think of this, and actually, I don't know why he is doing this. I will ask him, and if he answers me, I will let you know." Nārada went away. It is said that whenever the Ṛṣi Nārada came, he put such a question, such a mailing—not blackmailing, but mailing, a vṛtti—even in the mind or the brain of Lord Viṣṇu, in the brain of Śiva or anyone. He comes and puts such a thought, and then they have to work on it. That's called tapasyā at that time, and tapasyā in this modern language is called research work—research. After some time, Lord Śiva comes back. Pārvatī was very happy, and after some days, Pārvatī asked the question to Lord Śiva. "My Lord, I would like to ask you one question." Śiva knew what was going on. When someone comes or telephones and tells me, "I would like to speak to you and ask one question," psychologically, you can gauge what it could be. Be ready. She said, "I want the answer." Śiva said, "Without knowing your question, I cannot promise you, or I cannot give you an answer." Pārvatī said, "Lord, it's not so difficult." Śiva smiled and said, "Yes, beautiful one, go ahead. What is going on in your mind? What disturbs you? What troubles you?" She said, "Nothing disturbs me, nothing troubles me, my lord. I am just curious, okay, Pārvatī?" Saying, "Lord, I would like to know why, from time to time, you have around your neck a garland of skulls, heads, and bones." Śiva dived into the deep ocean of thoughts because Pārvatī touched his heart. Śiva said, "Well, how are you? How was the time?" She said, "Don't try to escape, Lord. I want an answer." Lord Śiva said, "Pārvatī, time will come and I will answer you." "Lord, why not now?" This is called a family problem. Now, in this modern world, if anyone has family problems, they should read the holy divine books, or what you call the Purāṇas. In the Purāṇas are beautiful stories that show how there is a mutual understanding between the couples. Śiva is consciousness, and Pārvatī is prakṛti, or matter: jīva and ātmā, prakṛti and puruṣa. Pārvatī asked, "Why not now? Please tell me." Lord Śiva said, "Because you will not understand, you will not digest what I am telling you. The truth is very hard to digest." Pārvatī said, "I am sure I will be able to digest. Tell me, please." Lord Śiva said, "Time will come. Don't hurry." But day by day, she kept on asking. Because now she knew there is something which Śiva hides in his heart, which I don't know. And when your husband tries to hide something, then you can't sleep. Day and night, day and night, you try to trace out, tackle his heart—what's going on. It was a beautiful, beautiful moonlight. All white snow, the mountains were like silver, the ice rocks, what you call the glaciers. And Pārvatī asked, "My beloved Lord, please tell me." Śiva said, "Yes, Pārvatī, I will tell you. Now I know it will be hard for you, but I will tell. And for me, it is also hard to say." Now she became more and more curious. "Pārvatī, whenever your mortal body goes away..."—meaning you die—"it is hard for me. And as a memory, as a love to you, I take your skull around my neck. You see, the truthfulness of the husband, the love of the husband, with death, it doesn't die. Don't think that love will die with death, no. Love has thousands of eyes, and love you cannot close in a box. Love smells like patchouli. Musk. Musk? From the deer. Musk. In your memory, I am having this." Pārvatī got depression. Immediately, depression. Śiva said, "What happened, my Lord? Something happened." He said, "Shouldn't I think of you?" "No, no, that is perfect. I am so delighted, my Lord, that you have so much gracious love for me. But..." Śiva said, "What means 'but'?" "I am sad. I am very sad, Lord. Help me, please, Lord." Śiva said, "I told you it will not be easy for you to understand. Digest now, you ask me to help you. Definitely, I will help you. It will take time." "Why? You can help me immediately," she said. "No," he said. "Please help. Why are you sad?" Śiva asked. "Why are you sad?" She said, "Lord, I am sad because you are a mortal one."—Always the same one—"and I have to die. That's why I'm sad. I have to die again, be born and search you somewhere in the mountains, and again I find you, and again I have to die. Lord, can't you bless me that I will be immortal too?" Śiva said, "This is against the universal principles. I am the... but I cannot give you the knowledge or the techniques of how to become immortal now: Triya Haṭha, Bala Haṭha, Triya Haṭha, Rāja Haṭha, and Yoga Haṭha. These are four kinds of Haṭha." When the ladies decide to do something, it doesn't matter what happens, we will do it. She said, "Please, Lord, teach me the techniques of how to become immortal." Śiva said, "Pārvatī, you will not understand. And again, it will not function. Why? You need alertness, discipline, practice." "I will do everything, Lord. Please tell me, teach me how to become immortal." Lord Śiva said, "Time will come. We have to search for a place where there are no creatures." "Can listen this," she said. "Why not?" He said, "Then there will be a traffic jam in the rebirth and death, you know. All will stand in this queue. All will be immortal. It will block the universal principle cycle, which comes and goes. Time will come, and I will tell you now what's happening. We will listen after." As Maa Prabhujī said in this bhajan, Lord Śiva said, "I will make you, your body and your ātmā, your soul, immortal. But if you are a devotee of the Lord God, why are you scared?" Wait, it will be after a long time searching for a beautiful spiritual cave in the Himalayas, the king of the Himalayas, Lord Śiva, he found a beautiful cave. That place is known as Amarnāthjī, Bhagavān Śrī Śiva's seat, Lord Śiva Amarnāthjī, which is now in Kashmir. Before coming to this cave with Pārvatī, there is one beautiful place that is called Beltaal, and we all have been there this year. Why is it named Beltaal? Because Lord Śiva said to his Nandī—Nandī also means bell—"Now you stay here, I free you from duty." So Lord Śiva's Nandi stayed there. You can feel a beautiful energy of the bhakta. Nandi was the bhakta of Lord Śiva. He comes further and he took his Śeṣa Nāga, the snake which always was around his body and all the times was happy and dancing. As an ornament, we have many different ornaments, but he had all the ornaments of the creatures. The beauty of the Lord is in all creatures. That is His ornament. He took the Nāg, Śeṣa Nāga, and said, "You are now free. Go into this talap," and there's a beautiful lake. The story of the lake is another beauty. It is said that there were hiding some Asuras, Rākṣasas, but due to Śiva, all became Bhaktas and were liberated. Now, the Rākṣasas had nothing to do because no sinner was there, so the Rākṣasas also came to Lord Śiva and said, "Bless us, please, and liberate us because we have no work here." You see, only through the spiritual energy, only the presence of the divine, the āsurī śaktis in our body, in our mind, in our consciousness are also liberated. A beauty of Lord Śiva. Śiva is the Lord of the mind also, the lord of the emotions, the half moon, the new moon, the Kṛṣṇa moon, which was the beauty of Lord Śiva all the time. Lord Śiva took the moon and said, "Now you are free. Also, go." You see what he renounced all for one, the love for Pārvatī. Now, I ask you all men sitting here, what did you renounce for your wife? Nothing. No answer is also an answer. Also, Lord Śiva, he opens his jaṭā, his hair, and there it is, a beautiful Pañcaraṅgī, Gaṅgā is flowing. You see the five colors, all five elements there. Beautiful. He's the only one and most beloved, dear Gaṇeśjī. He put Gaṇeśjī far on the rock, on the peak of the mountain, and said, "You stay here." And when you go now to Amarnath, you can have a darśan of Gaṇeśa in the big rock. But you see, the entire form of Gaṇeśa is there. And on the other side, you see on the rock, just opposite to where Lord Śiva was giving the signs of immortality to Pārvatī, there you see the Śeṣa Nāgas, like this rock, beautiful rock, but like a Śeṣa Nāga. It is said that the five Pāṇḍavas, when they left after the kingdom and where Dharmarāja existed, he could walk to heaven. The other Pāṇḍavas stayed there. And you see the rocks, beautiful like the five Pāṇḍavas. It's a divine place, a holy place. Now, Lord Śiva is coming in the rock, in the cave, the holy cave. He sat there, and he said to Pārvatī, "What do you wish?" "My Lord, the knowledge of immortality." I think the science of yoga and the divine knowledge of the Guru Gītā, which Lord Śiva is giving to Pārvatī in that holy cave, is what we call Śrī Amarnāthjī, the holy cave of Śrī Amarnāthjī. Lord Śiva is saying, "Let me be a little bit alone. You go far away and sit down. I will call you." Now Śiva is renouncing the elements: water, earth, air, fire. And he ordered the fire element to burn everything that is here near him, until his voice goes, so that no one can listen. Because if someone will listen, this knowledge will become immortal, and then give further and give further, it will become a network. And again, the traffic jam. So it is said there was a fire, and everything was burnt. Śiva himself became like a crystal, transparent, crystal clear. And that's why the crystal is a symbol of consciousness, a symbol of love, a symbol of purity. And that's why those who are devoted to Pārvatī or Śakti, they have crystal mālās or a crystal Śiva Liṅgam. Who is wearing the crystal? Is wearing the body of Śiva, and the energy, a love to Pārvatī, the pure energy. Now Śiva is like a crystal, and Pārvatī comes to him, and Śiva said, "As long as I will preach, as long as I will talk, you should listen very alertly. Don't sleep." Śiva said, "In order to be awakened, you should constantly, after one sentence, when I say something, you should say, 'Yes,' so that..." you will not sleep. Pārvatī said, "Yes, Lord, I do. I am so thirsty. I am so hungry. I am longing for the nectar of the wisdom to become immortal, one with thee, O my Lord. Please go ahead." Śiva said, "I tell you, Pārvatī, I will not repeat again. Don't sleep. If you miss one sentence, it will not work. The chain is broken." Now, this Pārvatī is our sūtra, our attention. And if something comes between your feeling, you... miss one discipline, you are lost. This story is for us, for our spiritual sādhanā. That's why Ṛṣi Patañjali said this yoga only can be successfully practiced and achieved through discipline. Pārvatī said, "Yes, Lord." Now Śiva, in his universal body, began to deliver the divine wisdom to Pārvatī. And Pārvatī said, "Yes, yes, my lord, yes." She became so relaxed, she became so happy, she became free of fears, and she realized in her heart everlasting peace. And she said, "Yes." What happened? Pārvatī slept, but Śiva continued talking. Where Śiva was sitting, there was a nest of a parrot, and Śiva was sitting on it. Underneath, there was an egg of the parrot. Rest all was burned, and in the egg there was a baby which should come out. The baby realized that Pārvatī slept. The baby came out and sat near and said, "Yes, yes," and Pārvatī slept. But the parrot baby constantly said, "Yes, yes." Now, what's happening? That I will tell you tomorrow. Deep Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān ke, they wish for Mahādeva ke. Before you sleep, I must make an interval, and tomorrow we will continue this. That is where the wisdom of the yoga is developed, delivered by Lord Śiva. Let's have prayers.