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Salutations to the Cosmic Light, Lord of our Hearts, Omniscient and Omnipresent. Good evening, all brothers and sisters, and all international friends, practitioners, aspirants, and spiritual seekers. For the last two weeks, you have been following the meanings, information, and practices concerning mantra. Today, the group has changed, and new practitioners are here. I welcome you all and wish you a very pleasant stay here at Śrī Mahāprabhujī’s Satsaṅg Foundation, Strilky Āśram. This program is beautifully designed for you and is called the Summer Anuṣṭhāna Retreat. We have different groups, as Yoga in Daily Life comprises many steps. We have practitioners from the very beginning to the advanced, including teachers with many years of good experience. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive answers. There will be two lectures daily. As long as the mantra lectures continue, after that we will begin various topics according to the mantras. As you know from past lectures, mantra is the source and foundation of our life. Mantra is the cosmic resonance, the uniting power in the universe, and the origin of the entire cosmos. It is that energy which leads individual consciousness towards Cosmic Consciousness. It is that resonance which guides your individual self. Mantra protects you from all negative energies and forces, such as black magic. Without mantra, human life is like a bird without wings. Without mantra, spiritual practices and meditation are like a statue without a soul. Mantra is the torchlight to walk through the jungle of this life and its darkness. Being a cosmic resonance, it is above everything. It constantly vibrates in every cell of your body, protects you, and leads you safely toward your ultimate aim. There are many different mantras for many different things. Our life began with mantra, survives through mantra, and will find its fulfillment, pūraṇa, through mantra. For every event, for every breath, mantra is essential. If one thinks mantra is not necessary, that person knows nothing about it and is cheating oneself. The most powerful principles and techniques in spiritual practice, especially in yoga, are the mantras. Therefore, you will have time here to practice your mantra more constantly, consciously, and systematically. Those who have no mantra will receive one. There will also be a beautiful mantra initiation ceremony, of course, only if you wish. This retreat is dedicated to our spiritual development and well-being. Yoga in Daily Life is a scientific and systematic system that will guide you safely. Its prime aim is physical, mental, social, and spiritual health, and God-realization. It is a quality, a creation from authentic ancient literature—ancient wisdom for the modern world. If you practice, you will benefit. If you do not practice, that is all. This system is adopted around the whole world, especially here. Before you begin to practice, or for those already practicing, one thing is crucial: have a very solid, concrete goal. Never lose your aim from view. When driving a car to a destination, you see many landscapes—mountains, meadows, lakes, forests—but you have one aim: to reach your destination. Similarly, in this life, we are driving toward a final aim: How to become one with the Cosmic Self? How to return to our origin? As Ādi Guru Śaṅkarācārya said: Who am I? From where do I come? What is the purpose of my coming, and where am I going? The answer to these questions is the completion of your self-realization. It is the realization itself, not just theory or practice. In theory, we might already be sitting on the peak of the highest mountain, the Himalayas. But to be there physically in reality is not so easy. Therefore, tons of theory are nothing compared to a gram of practice. Thus, it is said in the Bhagavad Gītā: "O Arjuna, practice, practice, practice." Discipline is the key to success. Never lose courage or give up your practice. To be successful, you must have devotion to your practice. As long as you have devotion, your practice will improve. You must know what you are practicing, why you are practicing, and what you will achieve. Is it possible to achieve what you desire? Do you respect and honor your practice? As Patañjali said, an aspirant should have devotion and dedication to practice, like a devotee to God. These practices are your tool to achieve your aims. I was looking forward to seeing all of you. Hundreds of your brothers and sisters who were here in previous weeks had beautiful experiences and returned home very happy. They realized that Yoga in Daily Life can give them energy, happiness, understanding, and humbleness. This week, you are mostly Yoga in Daily Life teachers. A question arises: as a yoga teacher, you cannot get a diploma in Yoga in Daily Life in 15 days. What a joke to get a yoga teacher certificate in 15 days! If a doctor studied medicine for only 15 days and wanted to operate on me, I would prepare to die without the operation. Unfortunately, yoga is often misunderstood and misguided in this way. Around the world, we have thousands of Yoga in Daily Life teachers who underwent long years of training. Yet, you are still here to learn more. Wisdom cannot be measured in kilometers, centimeters, or kilograms. The Goddess of Wisdom is known as Sarasvatī. She is the consort of Brahmā, the Creator, and the Goddess of Wisdom, Learning, Knowledge, Speech, and Language. Though she is the lord of wisdom, she still carries a book in her hand. Is it necessary? She knows everything written inside; it is her creation. Yet, she signifies there is no end to learning. From one, you can create millions of things. Therefore, it is lifelong learning. There was a ṛṣi. In ancient times, holy saints lived in the forest, conducting research through meditation: what is the body, how did it come to be, how elements combine, about bones, flesh, tissues, organs, their functions, hormones—how everything works. Without instruments, using only meditation, they could discover anything about thoughts, emotions, anger, jealousy, hate, intellect, consciousness, the individual soul, ātmā. Still, they felt it was too late to know all they desired. Those ṛṣis spoke of Ananta Brahmāṇḍa Sahasra Sūrya—endless universes, thousands of solar systems. How did they know? Through meditation, traveling in the astral body, which is one of the quickest. They realized Ānanda Brahman—you are one without a second. Constantly developing individual universes, your body is an individual phenomenon. Even one tissue in your body has its own universe—ānanda, miracles, the unfoldment of consciousness into endless beauty. One ṛṣi meditated for several thousand years (we struggle to meditate for several hours or days). He became old, and the time came for him to depart. Having heard of the Vedas, he wished to study them. Dharmarāja (Yamarāja) sent messengers respectfully to bring him to Brahmaloka. For a holy saint, angels (devas) come; for sinners, Yamarāja’s messengers (rākṣasas) come with cruelty and suffering. The ṛṣi said, "I do not want to go now. I wish for a few hundred more years to study and know more." The messengers sought permission from Dharmarāja, who said, "As he wishes, I have no power over him." Mahāprabhujī said in a bhajan: What power does Yamarāja have? Look closely. Yamarāja cannot even see the bhakta, the devotee of Gurudev, if he tries. But it must be a true bhakta, not one who constantly embarrasses you. I spoke on the phone yesterday with a bhakta with great love. Normally, a master should not use the telephone; disciples should call when needed. The moment I stood to say Pranām, he began to complain. I said, "But you called me." He said, "No, I have not called you yet in 2008." I replied, "Exactly, just as the person called me." I told him clearly it was for a different reason. He changed color like a chameleon. For such bhakti, one must just smile to save the situation. "Oh yes, good, you will be okay." Be careful, you are a new rider. Sometimes even the master must use diplomacy for self-protection. In Kali Yuga, the master also needs protection from disciples. Dharmarāja, with folded hands and great respect, bowed his head and said, "Go respectfully and say, 'Your wish will be fulfilled in five thousand years.'" Life was prolonged. In reality, there is no limitation; this life is a non-reality, so there is limitation. Time waits for no one, and karma leaves no one out. How you think, how you project your feelings, how you put guilt on others—oh God! How will you pay this back? Who are you to judge someone? Judge yourself. Soudte sami sebe. Five thousand years passed. Dharmarāja sent his messengers again. The ṛṣi was very thin, only skin and bones, cold, with weak eyes, still reading. The messengers came: "Your Holiness, we came to welcome you." He said, "But I did not finish. I wish to live five thousand years more." Again, they gave him five thousand years. They came again. He said, "Still, I didn’t finish. I have to learn many things—five thousand years more." Dharmarāja did not dare to force him at all. Therefore, Mahāprabhujī said, "Guru, be what Thou art." Says Maheśa, says Kārttikeya, Guru Śiva says Viṣṇu, says Viṣṇu, Maheśa Śiva. Even they are doing Guru Śiva, and they say with folded hands, "Guru Dev, we surrender everything to Thee. We give everything to you—body, mind, and everything. Give us the opportunity to serve you." That is a Guru Dev. We are all sitting here; on our way, we are also guru, but not like that. It will take some lives to achieve this. We are the jīvas of Kali Yuga, suffering. Three or four times the ṛṣi asked to prolong his life. Finally, Dharmarāja decided to come himself. He asked the ṛṣi if he would like to come to Brahmaloka. The ṛṣi said, "Well, I still want to learn something, to read something." Dharmarāja said to the ṛṣi, "Please stretch both your hands toward the Himalayan hill." A storm came, and some dust flowed onto his palms—one gram of sand. Dharmarāja said, "In your whole life, including these 25,000 extra years I gave you, whatever you learned is only this much in your hands. What you still wish to learn is the entire mighty Himalaya. So, how many more years do you wish, sir?" The ṛṣi said, "Really? Yes." The ṛṣi then asked Dharmarāja, "Can you tell me, after studying all this, like the entire Himalaya, what will I get?" Dharmarāja said, "There is nothing more to get than what you have already got. Let’s go." And so they went to Brahmaloka. What I wish to tell you is this: even as a diploma holder of Yoga in Daily Life, we still have much to learn. This week, there will be Jñāna Gaṅgā flowing—the river of wisdom. As in a bhajan by Mahāprabhujī’s disciple, Swami Sivānanda: "Sivānandjī Mahārāj Kī Jai, Mahāprabhujī, Śrī Devpurījī, Śrī Devpurījī, Mahāprabhudīp Āśram, Strīlky, Kumbha Melā, Jādan, Oṁ, Mahāprabhudīp Āśram, Strīlky, Kumbha Melā, Jādan, Oṁ Śrī Devpurījī, Śrī Devpurījī, Mahāprabhujīp Āśram, Strīlky, Kumbha Melā, Jādan, Oṁ Śrī Devpurījī, Śrī Devpurījī... Mahāprabhujīp Āśram, Strīlky, Kumbha Melā, Mahāprabhujī Hoja Kem Guru Caraṇamayī Arsatirathe." In the presence of the Gurudeva, there are 68 holy places, all at his feet. If a disciple still wishes to go elsewhere on pilgrimage, it means he or she has not realized. Brahmanandjī Mahārāj, seed Brahmanandjī Mahārāj, Rekha Brahmanandjī Mahārāj. Sakte aisi kari Gurudev, dayā mera moha kā bandhan toḍ diyā. Bhagavān Kī Jaya! That experience comes, they bathe in the river of Jñāna Gaṅgā. The best seekers, uttam adhikārī, the pure souls, come there. They bathe in the Gaṅgā, which means to purify your karmas, your sins. Yes, that river has that ability. Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s Gopīs...