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Om Sukhinaḥ Sarve Santu Nirmayāḥ, Sarve Bhadrāṇi Paśyantu, Mā Kaścid Duhkha Bhāgbhavet, Om Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ. Salutation to the cosmic light. Lord of our hearts, omniscient and omnipresent, in his divine presence, good evening, dear brothers and sisters. It is a blessing for me to be with you this evening. In India, whatever we begin, we remember God first and chant some mantra. The power of the mantra is indescribable. The mantras are something like prayer, which I chanted now. This mantra comes from the Upaniṣads, very old literatures. Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaḥ. O Lord, all should be happy. Not only humans, but all creatures. No one should suffer. All should be healthy. All should have a comfortable life. And may I also live in peace and happiness. Whatever comes out of the human heart and the human consciousness has a great influence on this planet because the human understands what is what. When the argument ends, spirituality begins. When the road ends, then the destination is there. As long as there is a question rising, "Why and how are we still not in the ocean of divine bliss, spirituality?" Where there is duality, there is no spirituality. Where there is duality, there is ignorance and suffering. Spirituality is not individual. Spirituality is universal, which has to be awakened in the human consciousness. So, dear brothers and sisters, I’m very happy to be here in this historical opera or theatre house. Very world-famous artists perform here. I’m not that world-famous an artist, but I’m proud to be in this place. Something will come, I’m sure. Maribor is a very special junction for me. The science of yoga in daily life begins to be spread, or begins to help the people of Slovenia, here from Maribor. And the credit goes to one of my best friends, or a disciple, Mr. Josef Gahl and Zlatka Gahl. They are sitting here. So the credit goes to them, that I am here, and also to Professor Dejan, and the president of the Slovenian Union of Yoga and Dead Life, and union of my best disciple, Vlado. And I’m very thankful to the director of this theatre, that with so much respect and love, he gave us the opportunity to be here today. So that’s why I often used to come to Maribor. Whenever I come to Slovenia, then I come two times to Maribor: while coming and while going. That’s it. So you always have more plus points. Thank you very much. Dear brothers and sisters, the subject which we have this evening is "Spiritual Awakening for World Peace." This year, 2008, we dedicated the subject, and I’m traveling around the world trying to implant the seeds of spirituality in the consciousness of humans in different parts of the world. The seeds which you put in the ground, sooner or later they will grow. But may all will not grow. My master said, "The fruit, fig, the fig is a fruit full of seeds. And if all seeds will grow, this planet will be full of figs." So all will not grow, but which will grow will have a great effect. Therefore, we said hope—hope is a walking stick from the cradle to the grave, and this should not end at the grave. But we said the hope is that belief which leads from the cradle to the cosmic. Yoga, that’s the main point. Many of you know what is yoga. When I first traveled through Austria by train, one man made me say, "Oh, you are doing yoga. How do you feel on this comfortable seat in the train?" Because for him, yoga means to sit on the needle bed, or standing on the head. This is a long imagination. Or thinks it is a religion. Yes, it is a religion. Definitely. Yoga is the universal principle from which all religions can. Yoga is not a part of one particular religion, but all religions are part of the yoga. It is a science, so my definition of yoga, my experiences with yoga, and from the great masters, now, I want to touch this point because to understand the conflict which is between our mind and intellect, which is a conflict between two. So, if there is no two, then there is no more conflict. That’s what we call, in India we have six philosophies. But one is called Dvaitavāda and Advaitavāda. Dvaita means belief in dualism. But they were not able to remove the conflict. But there is another path which is called advaita, non-duality. It’s called one in all and all in one. So it means you and me, he and they, are not here. Only one me, that’s all. When I was here, he wasn’t here. Now he’s here, but I’m not here. The street of love is so narrow that two cannot walk together. Two have to merge into oneness. So a great saint, a great thinker, a great philosopher, Ādi Guru Śaṅkarācārya said: Suppose you take twenty cups with different colors, different forms, and different sizes, and you fill them with liquid and put them in your garden. Now, it is a full moon night, and you look into your cup. In every cup, you see one moon. In the sky, there is only one moon, and in every cup, there is only one moon. So you have only one soul, not two souls. Except in a mother’s womb, there can be two souls. That is a different subject. So, the Śaṅkarācārya says, there is only one. And that one is in every cup, reflexively. So, one in all, and all in one. Duality is only the form, and as long as this form will exist, there will be duality, and the forms mean differences. But the form is not a reality, because it is changeable. What is changing is not reality, and what is not changing is reality. Everlasting, immortal, indescribable, unchangeable, and undestroyable. That’s called Ātmā in Sanskrit. The self. And then, after the self, comes the soul. So, the soul is individual. And ātmā is universal. Ātmā is in this universe what we call the consciousness. And the space is that space in which your consciousness is dwelling. And the soul is individual. That represents your karma. Every one of us has a different destiny. And destiny is individual, not universal. Destiny is a result of the fruits of our actions. Not limited to any time. Any time, anywhere, that destiny can begin to react or function, or we have to face that destiny. So as long as there is karma, the negative side of the karma, the negative energy, then you are existing in this entire universe as an individual soul, experiencing different things. It is said this individual is fluttering on the waves of time throughout the universe, experiencing happiness and unhappiness, light and darkness, moving. After departure from this physical planet, no more attachment is there. But it is the destiny which pulls us back again, like the wind pulls the boat to the shore. So the space is what we call brahmāṇḍ, the universe or brahmāṇḍ. That’s known as ānand, endless. Where is the beginning and where is the ending? Therefore, the name is given endless. When you can’t find any symptoms physically, but still you feel pain and you are ill. The doctor knows the diagnosis is all okay, but still you are complaining. Then the doctor has one choice to explain: he is a psychic. And now, this psychic is so huge. And we don’t understand what the psychic is. You come home and look in the mirror. I’m psychic. But yes, there is some cause of that, definitely. That is dormant at your unconscious or subconscious level. So, the space is endless. That is known as the universal mother. In which space we are living, all the stars and planets are in one body. That’s called the space. And within this universe, there is what is called universal consciousness. That’s also everywhere, one without second. Nowhere is empty. The consciousness is everywhere. One without second, and that’s called Hiraṇya Garbha, golden embryo. Now, that balancing principle between consciousness and space, that is called yoga. Balancing, not harmony. That’s it. And where there is a balance, there is harmony. Where there is imbalance, there is no harmony. There is a conflict, and where there is conflict, there is no peace. So when there is harmony, it means understanding. Balance. Harmony means to scope, or means to work with it. Acceptance without doubt. And then finally, yoga means union. Then it is uniting. And union means oneness. So simply, yoga means the union of the individual consciousness with the cosmic consciousness. But the great Patañjali says, as long as there is a vikṣepa and kleśas, you cannot realize oneness. So vikṣepa is the disturbances: adhibhautik, adhidaivik, and adhyātmik. These are three kinds of vikṣepas: material, mental, and from the astral energy or astral world. The kleśas means the conflicts which are created within ourselves and within others. Why do we get some disease? Because there are some kleśas, and it is that disharmony which disbalances the entire function, the entire system. So yoga is that principle which unites, balances, and harmonizes the universe and the universal consciousness. Then it is said, Nādarūpa-parabrahma, one of the oldest scriptures called the Veda. The form of the Supreme, or God, what we call—we believe in one God only, and that is called Brahman. In Hinduism, you will not believe in dualism, only one God. In Hinduism, people believe in only one God, but there are different incarnations time to time, that’s called personified incarnation. You accept or you don’t accept, but God is only one. He believes in me in Krishna. You believe in me in Rama. I believe in Mahāprabhujī. Some believe in Jesus. That’s individual belief. God is not individual. That is universal. So nāda rūpa para brahma, if you want to know the form of God, how does he look like? It’s his resonance. Nāda is resonance. And the entire creation is placed in this endless universe through that resonance. And that the yogīs declared Aum. A-U-M: beginning, middle, and end. Trinity. The Trinity creation began with these three letters. And therefore it is said, Ananta Brahman, Śāstra Sūryas. And those scriptures. Anant means endless universe, and Śāstra means thousand, and sūryas means the suns. So it is declared in the Vedas that there are thousands of solar systems in this endless universe. And we are on this planet, in this solar system. And on this, the Creator has created 8.4 million different kinds of creatures. Divided into three categories: water, earth, and space. And one of them is the human. Only one. That is the human. Now, the difference between that said, that we have more abilities of intellect. And we need to develop this, and for that, education is very important. And education, a different kind of education. So, then the human begins to understand what peace is. We need love. As long as there is animal consciousness, we will fight, because it is said, "What will be the food of these creatures, including the humans?" It is said, jīv, jīv bhakṣate, life will eat life. But when the human awoke in their consciousness and begins to feel the pain of others, the need of others, the condition of others, then awoke in the heart what we call compassion, the mercy. No one should suffer because of me. So, slowly, slowly, the human turned into a different way of life, and they began to respect nature and all other life, and they began to turn vegetarian. Well, now we know in the world what’s happening. Do you accept this? Do I accept this? No. You see, this space of Slovenia, I don’t know how many thousands of square miles it is. But since this planet or Earth is existing, it was here. Some king came, some people came: "This is my property, my land." Politics came. It was known as Yugoslavia; again, you call now Slovenia. What changed? You didn’t cut pieces and took it somewhere in another part of the universe. Still, you are the same. Only the thinking is different. The borders are on the human mind, but that’s not my subject. But I’m sure that Slovenians were and are not happy with what happened when the ex-Yugoslavia began to divide. And I’m sure that you and me and many people in the world are not happy with what’s happening in the Middle East. Can we bring peace with weapons? Can we bring peace with war? No. If your neighbor is very noisy and you want to go and make peace with him, you go with the pistol and say, "Keep quiet." For a while he will, and after a few minutes your door will be knocked. Someone will be standing there with a black dress and a cap. Some tag here and tag here. Slovenian police. That will not bring peace if you go with the flowers. Yes, that will be understood. Love. So, that awakening of love, to understand, to clean up that conflict, we need spiritual awakening. Spirituality means not religion. Religion is a practitioner of this spirituality. Where there is spirituality, there is no duality. So, spirituality is equal in everyone’s heart. It doesn’t matter which God you believe in or if you don’t believe. So, spirituality means for me purity, pure, crystal clear. That if I go to a doctor and the doctor, a dentist, comes with an injection and says, "Mr. Swami, I open my mouth. I know that myself offered to the dentist, and I repeat my mantra more quickly, and I close my eyes. I don’t want to see that injection. So, in which way I feel, others feel also, and so to understand others. That is spirituality. What disturbs me disturbs others also. If I believe in God or I don’t believe in God, but I wish that my neighbor should not suffer. Often, people think atheists don’t believe in God. But for me, atheists are those people who have really clear consciousness. They know what they are doing, and they do believe, but not in that way in which we would like that they believe. They do not fall into the discussions. They always use their mind and intellect. May they make an experiment sometimes, if there is a God or not. There is a small story, if I may tell. It is a story about an atheist. A very good man, and he was a kind of professor or something. Not believing in God, he had a lot of knowledge. The theory practice was missing. Practice and theory are a little bit different. That’s why some philosophers said, "Tons of theory is nothing compared with a gram of practice." So, that man was very sporty. He wanted to have sports. Very good. Yoga is also very good for health if you practice. His hobby was to climb, and his desire was to come to the high Himalaya. And he went climbing. And successfully, he was climbing. Somehow, he lost his rope or the chain. And he’s hanging on the rock, minus degrees. I experienced my first coldest winter in Pohorje. Still, I remember 37 degrees below zero. At midnight, we went for a walk in Pohorje. Undescribable beauty and situation, but my nose was frozen. Well, he’s hanging on the rock. Looking down some meters, maybe 100 or 200 meters. He was a very clever man. Definitely must be. Who’s hanging like that? He said, "Let’s make an experiment. People are talking, 'Himalaya is a holy mountain. India is a holy land.' Must be God there near. I don’t believe in God. But if I believe for a while and he comes and helps me, I lose nothing." So he’s hanging, and he says, "God, I don’t believe in you. Because I know you are not existing, but if you are existing, come and help me. I will make advertisements. Yes, you are existing." And to such a person, God comes. We are praying so many years; God takes time to come. So that is a plus point to be a non-believer. Perhaps God came, appeared on another rock ten meters far, "I bless you, my son. How are you?" He said, "Are you God?" "Yes." "What do you need? What can I do for you?" God said. If you are God, then you know what I need in this minute. I believe in you, Lord, and I know you are God. From this minute onwards, my life is dedicated to you. I will tell people there is a God. God said, "Do you believe?" Yes. Everything clear? Yes, please hurry up. God said, it’s okay. So now you know I’m existing, and you believe? Say yes. You will do everything that I tell you. Of course, Lord. I will do anything that you do. Then God said, "Release your hands." An atheist said, "So stupid, I’m not still." So, did we ever test our belief? How much faith do we have in God? Or do we fight for a religion? I’m coming from Hinduism. I fight for Hinduism. You come from Judaism. You fight for Judaism. And others come from Christianity and fight for Christianity. That is not spirituality. No fight. We should have a feeling of love for all. And that can be realized and awakened through deep thinking, and that I call meditation. First, to know how am I. Am I happy? Or unhappy? Do I feel pleasant? Or pain? Have I sorrows? And how have other ones? As I feel, so must others also feel. My stomach is full. It does not mean that everyone’s stomach is full. I have eaten, but all others are hungry. I should not think of only my stomach, but think of all. And that’s what Mahātmā Gandhījī said: "Be the change you want to see." Like that, we should act. So, spirituality is that pure relation, the purity. Each and every living entity is myself, and myself is the divine self. One in all, and all in one. So I wish that all live happy and healthy. And how to awake this consciousness? By searching your heart, practice yoga for your good health. Āsanas, prānāyāmas. Yoga postures are psychosomatic movements. It coordinates, balances, and harmonizes the body, mind, and soul, and coordinate and harmonize body, spirit, and soul. Health is not everything, but everything is nothing. Without health, some philosopher said, one philosopher said that health is not everything, but everything is nothing without health. And relaxation is very important. Even if you are very busy, try to relax for one minute in your office on the chair. And I hope you can dedicate one minute for yourself. Close your eyes and relax in your chair, and take a deep breath in and out. And make one thought: "I am relaxed." That’s all, because you are very busy. But this one minute will give you immense energy and clarity to your body. If you can do five minutes, it’s great. If you can do 10 minutes, you are lucky. And if you do 15 minutes, you are a blessed one. And if you can do every day half an hour, you are the fortunate one. To understand thyself, thy family, and other people and other creatures. It is the way to thyself. It means the way to all. And meditation, that is a meditation, and stretching, breathing, that will make our physical life on this planet comfortable. But the main thing is that I don’t want someone to come and kill my family. I don’t want someone to fly over my city and drop bombs. Then who wants this? No one. All are scared, all have fear, and we don’t need to fight. We have to develop this consciousness in this modern time. So the ancient wisdom for the modern time is urgently needed. So that’s my message for this year. Yoga in daily life is not only physical exercises. We have many, many projects, and from many, one is also the World Peace. Last year we had in your country, Slovenia, the World Peace Summit. Before that, we had one in Zagreb, and the seventh one we had now in New Zealand, in Wellington, where we came together with the Maori people, the original people of that country. The second conference we had was in Sydney, Australia, and we came closer to understanding the Aborigines of Australia, and the eighth conference will be in Budapest, concentrating more on that beautiful culture, language, and the society called the Romans. So this is also one part where I try to bring mutual understanding. Tolerance among religions, understanding for every nation, and respect for every culture. These are the steps toward world peace. And spirituality. Only the way is spirituality. Your good will is spirituality, your good thought is spirituality, and good acting is spirituality, and your feeling of forgiveness is spirituality. A few minutes of meditation will bring immense energy to you. If you believe or not, belief cannot change the reality. No philosophy, no technology, and no religion can change reality. And so, whether you believe it or not, relax, and you will feel very good. And you will be that one who can remove the conflict, if it is in the family, in society, or in the world. And you will be the ones who will be able to overcome and avoid conflict in the family, in society, or in the world. Spirituality is universal, and we don’t have a copyright on it. God has a copyright on it. To be happy, to be content. To be loved, all these are universal principles. So yoga in daily life is for the awakening of this spirituality, to realize world peace. And I thank the Yoga in Daily Life organization of Maribor and its president, Mr. Dayan, and all other organizers, that they kindly invited me and that this evening I can be here. So, dear brothers and sisters, what we are searching for is within us, and you can realize it, and you can do it. And you are thyself. With this, thank you very much for your listening. And personally, I wish you very good health, harmony, and peace in your family. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you.