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The Science of Prāṇa and the Guṇas

A spiritual discourse on the science of prāṇa (life force) and the three guṇas (qualities of nature).

"Prāṇa is a very big science. And whatever we are doing is in the sense of prāṇa, that we would like to get more prāṇa and be strong."

"Blessed are they who keep away from anger. Holi Gurujī said, 'Anger is that which steals everything from you at your door.'"

Satguru Svāmī Madhavān Jī Bhagavān explains how pure cosmic prāṇa is filtered through the three guṇas—sattva (purity), rajas (activity), and tamas (inertia)—upon entering the body. He discusses the influence of food, lifestyle, and emotions on these qualities, advocating for prāṇāyāma and āsana to cultivate sattva and develop dayā (compassion). The talk includes practical advice on diet, the dangers of anger, and the importance of proper yoga attire for protecting one's energy.

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

Deep Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Devpurīśvar Mahādev Kī Dharm Samrāṭ Satguru Svāmī Madhavān Jī Bhagavān, blessing to everyone. Blessing of Mahāprabhujī. Our dear brothers, sisters, devotees, aspirants, spiritual seekers around the world who are with us, also blessings to you. Praṇām. Prāṇa is a very big science. And whatever we are doing is in the sense of prāṇa, that we would like to get more prāṇa and be strong. You may say you have no energy, you are tired. This energy could be one of the qualities of the prāṇa. The strength, physical strength and mental strength, ātambal, the willpower, is also prāṇa. And when this pure cosmic prāṇa comes to our body, then it's influenced by the guṇas: the three guṇas. Sattva guṇa, Rajas guṇa and Tamas guṇa. The science of Āyurveda, or medical science, is based on the yogic science. And yogic science is that which great saints were doing. So there were two [aspects]. First is nourishment, what you eat: solid and liquid. Mental food, also the environment with whom you spend the time mostly, there is also prāṇa. Sattva guṇa is a pure quality. The best quality which we can give to our body. Now, sometimes people are eating very sāttvic food but they are most aggressive people, and sometimes some people who consume meat and alcohol are very kind. So we should not judge in this way. It is inner functions also, and it is also what you call the way of living. If you have developed positive energies, what we spoke about yesterday, about Dayā. And to develop the Dayā in your heart, in your mind, in your action and words is a great blessing. It's like a person who is very cruel, in every aspect has very bad habits and qualities. Through yoga, it turns into a positive way, or through some friends. And we said, "Oh, this person has changed completely." So that means the dayā entered in that person. So the prāṇa, of course in the food, is very important. It is said that if you drink a glass of milk, you relax, feel pleasant, and experience calm. A když vypijete sklenici čistého alkoholu, vodky nebo kdo ví čeho, tak se tak neuvolňujete. You speak differently because that alcohol influences brain centers. So in this way, we can say the food definitely changes our way of thinking and way of behavior. And you will read, or you may know, that most of the yogīs, before going to sleep, drink one glass of milk compulsorily. A možná ste četli, nebo víte, že jsou yogīni, kteří před spaním povinně pijí sklenici mléka. And many elderly people, mostly, they drink one glass of milk. A starší lidé taky většinou večer pijí sklenici mléka. Because milk gives them a kind of prāṇa and that kind of tranquilizing. One sleeps well. So instead of taking sleeping tablets, you drink milk, then you will see how good you sleep without sleeping tablets. The practical example: a very small child is crying and scared, and is even tired and can't sleep. Then the mother gives a milk bottle or breastfeeding, and immediately the child sleeps. That's a very practical example. So similarly for the nerves, whether you are a little child or a big boy, one or old one, it is the same thing. So, definitely, food has influence. What kind of food you eat, like that will be your mind. What kind of society you have, that kind of habit you will take. A podle toho, v jaké si společnosti, takovou barvu bude mít tvůj život. A podle toho, co piješ, podle toho budeš mluvit. But again, that dayā, the love, the kindness, the humbleness should develop in our heart. So sattvic, sattva guṇa is a pure, balancing quality. And when there is little sattva guṇa, more tamas guṇa, rajas guṇa, then you should practice prāṇāyāma and āsanas. So prāṇa, which gives you more energy in the body, more vitality, more strength, mental will power, or the saṅkalpa śakti, ātambal, that comes through prāṇāyāma. So instead of taking some tablet for some energy, you make prāṇāyāma, and prāṇāyāma has no side effects. If you can manage to do prāṇāyāma every day for about half an hour or forty minutes, you will feel ever young till the last day of your life. I mean the natural days when you are very old. Rajas Guṇa is like aggressivity. But also, Rājas Guṇa must not be only aggressive. It doesn't have to be just an aggressive project, because without Rajas Guṇa you can't work, you can't decide, you can't train yourself, and you will lose the discipline. So it has its good side, and it also has its negative side. When you are angry, when you are jealous, when you are emotional, many emotions have many, many qualities. Anger is an emotion, hate is an emotion, screaming is an emotion. Screaming is emotion. Running through the forest is emotion. Devotion is emotion, so emotion has many different qualities, or a different kind of emotion. Therefore, certain emotions are healthy, and certain are not healthy. But without Raja's guṇa, you cannot exist. When rajas guṇa is not there, all functions of the body will be relaxed, finished. And we don't want that. So rajas guṇa helps us to be active, creative. And Rajas Guṇa can also damage our life through anger. Jealousy and anger, this is the biggest, most dangerous fire. This fire, which you see burning out of the fuel, petrol or wood or anything, coal, that can burn your body within no time. Turn your body into ash, but the fire of anger, fire of jealousy, and fire of passion and desire will burn you lifelong, will torture you lifelong. And in that way, this rajas guṇa is not good. So blessed are they who keep away from anger. Holi Gurujī said, "Anger is that which steals everything from you at your door. Like you brought something, you want to bring it home, but your anger is that thief, or that bandit." That before you enter in your house of the ānanda and happiness and success, on the door he will steal it. He is a great robber. Who? Anger. Therefore, it is said, protect thyself from getting angry. Three days ago, I explained about anger. There are two kinds of anger. Anger from an enemy is like you make a line on a stone. Remains forever. And anger of your parents, or your guru, or your good friends who love you, is like a line on the water. You beat with a stick on the water; water separates, but within no time, again water comes together. So, a healthy anger is from the person who loves you. They are angry, but not in the heart. That's it. Therefore, Rajas Guṇa, if Rajas Guṇa comes and dominates in us, then life becomes unbearable. And you will have a problem finding your partner. If you find a partner, very soon that partner will be a partner. The part will depart. Many people come to me and say, "I can't understand Swāmījī. I can't find a friend." I understand that you can't find one. It's a hidden anger, selfishness, greed, jealousy. Anger. These all, they are twin brothers. And you know, they are so strong. You can't tell them, "Just go away." They are so strong that even you can't look at them. So Rajas Guṇa is developing more through alcohol and drugs. And it is also said to be hot food. Chili, garlic, which I don't agree, because I eat chili and garlic, so I experience that I'm not so angry as I should be, but you have to be angry like a master to survive, that's it. And then comes Tamas-guṇa. Tamas-guṇa is laziness. And the biggest enemy of the human is Tamas-guṇa. Where Tamas guṇa is, there is no discipline. And the key to success is self-discipline. So, mostly ladies have less tamas guṇa, and unfortunately men have more tamas guṇa. It is the ladies who get up early and prepare breakfast, tea, or coffee. If you rely on the man, you go to the office without breakfast. And if you ask, "Why is there no breakfast today?" he will say, "Because today is a fasting day." And fasting day is a resting day, but also the tamas guṇa is very important. Without tamas guṇa, your life will become unbearable. Thanks to the tamas guṇa, you can sleep, and sleep for the body is very important, like food, water, air, society. Similarly, sleep is also part of our life. And we know that the stress is released when you can sleep. Digestion functions properly if you can sleep. Concentration develops if you can go to sleep. Relaxation. You give the chance to your prāṇa, which has other faculties of the prāṇa, and the vyāna prāṇa. And that has a chance to enter in... Mostly, it flows into the nerve systems, and it calms down your nerves. Or you practice prāṇāyāma. Through prāṇāyāma and medicine, you can replace your sleep. So, sattva, rajas, and tamas guṇas, these three guṇas, are part of our being. But at the same time, we know it's not good. So, there is one mantra: "Brahmanandam paramasukadam kevalam jnanamurtim dvandatitam gagansadrasam tasmasyadilaksyam ekam nityam vimalachalam sarvadhisakshibhutam bhavatitam trigunarahitam satgurutam namamyam." So, there is a definition of Gurudev. What is a Satguru? Which I have translated many times, and you know. But at the end of this mantra, in the śloka it is said, triguṇarahitam, above the three guṇas, free from these three guṇas. Satguru tāṁ namāmyaṁ, Satguru tāṁ namāmyaṁ, to that Satguru deva I bow down again and again. So, boys and girls, if you would like to come to that level of your consciousness, then work now to purify these old guṇas. So now, the prāṇa, pure quality, which is received from the universe, as soon as it comes to this planet and comes in touch with our body or any other creature, then that energy changes into that color. If there's a green bulb, that energy will give green light. And if it's yellow, yellow. Or another example: the water is very pure, colorless. Now, whichever color you put in, the water will accept that color. So the prāṇa is pure. And when it comes to you, then automatically it will change according to your guṇa. And, of course, to change your guṇas is not in your hands only. Therefore, we surrender to God. Abusomp, dia is jīvan kā sābhār tumhāre hāthomẽ. O Lord, now finally, I give all the responsibility of my life in your hands. He jīt tumāre hāthome, aur har tumāre hāthome. The glory, my victory is in your hands, and if I will be a loser, it is in your hands. That means now, so in your heart, dayā has appeared. And when dayā is that, dayā will act from you as a kṛpā. So kṛpālu, kṛpānidhān, there are many beautiful words which have a kṛpā. In India, when we ask someone to do some work, which is very important for you to be done, we will say, "Kṛpayā." Kripayā, can you do this? And what you say here, please. Please, can you do this? But if you want to say more, more very precise, that someone will really do it, then you would use the word called kindly. So the kindness comes from kṛpā. And that kindness is the reflection or act of the dayā, mercy. So, the kindness developing, then you are above these three guṇas. So where there is dayā, kindness, there is harmony, oneness. So prāṇa is constantly coming. So when we practice prāṇāyāma, our entire physical being is harmonized. And be sure, it is the prāṇāyāma which can help to cure many diseases. It's a long time, long practice, discipline, and continuity is important. And that's why first we practice āsanas. Before we practice āsanas, we relax. And relaxing means we get rid of the tamas guṇa. And we try to relax our muscles, and we are ready to get some energy. So asana is like body warming. So, what we call the dynamic movements, stretching, and postures. In all these three kinds of movements, we are preparing our muscles to observe more prāṇa. And the tamas guṇa, the negative energy, the laziness, is drawn out. You have noticed after breakfast, immediately you walked up the hill. The muscles were still cold. It means they were still full of tamas guṇa. It took you about 10 to 15 minutes to throw out all the tāmasic energy from the muscles, and then the muscles were empty. And it developed the rajas guṇa, because without rajas guṇa, muscles would not move. Now, rajas guṇa is like aggressive. So rajas guṇa came to your muscles and said to the tamas guṇa, "Get out! Do you know what the master wants?" He wants to go up. You are the master of your body. Then Rājas Guṇa takes over. Finally comes Sattva Guṇa and supplies that energy, the willpower, so Rājas Guṇa is harmonized with the Sattva Guṇa. And you walk, you don't feel tired. But as soon as you sit down for 10-15 minutes and get up to go, he says, "Oh, God." Again, the Raja's tamas guṇa is attacking. So, this is how our body is constantly a victim of changes, but if you keep on practicing, that will not happen. And so, when we do the āsanas, we prepare our entire body. You may see muscles, you may see nerves, you may see glands, or circulation, everything. And then we sit and make prāṇāyāma. It means now you are capable, and your body is ready to receive more prāṇāyāma. And to store the more prāṇāyāma, so prāṇāyāma is very important. And then, so it is incoming energy. And as we spoke yesterday about dress, if we have more natural material on our body, it will be easy for you to get more prāṇa. So not tight dress, loose dress. And when you have loose dress, if it's very hot, you feel cool. And if it is cold, then you feel like isolation. So between the cloth and skin, there is a space for the air. Air isolation. So in every aspect, this yoga dress, yoga in daily life dress, is very important. It took a long time to design. That took a long time to decide. And the color. Of course, color has many meanings that we will not speak of now. But the problem is this: some don't like this color, some don't like this color. So we decided on a nice cream color, a natural color. And finally, yoga in daily life, uniform. Practitioner feels very comfortable. It is advised in yoga, do not practice your exercises with naked skin. Especially when you do prāṇāyāma, you should not sweat. If you are sweating during prāṇāyāma, you are doing wrong techniques. And second, if you have a meditation shawl or cloth, you should cover your body. That keeps your prāṇa with you, and it protects you from different kinds of physical pollution. And for the meditation, it's the same thing. Of course, if it's hot weather, you have a thin cloth. And if it's very cold, then I need not tell you to cover your body. You will cover automatically. So many people print the photos and books without dress. Just physically, psychologically, human respect. You have a 30-centimeter piece of cloth on the body, only 30 centimeters. That is not good for your entire body to practice like that. Some say, "Oh, we would like to see the muscles, how they are moving, and the structure of the muscles." Practice yourself. You can have a look at your muscles in your mirror; nobody prohibits you. So, when you practice your yoga āsanas, exercises, again I tell you, and especially now in this modern civilization, there is a lot of pollution, and that's stuck in your skin. And it can cause many skin diseases. So you design yourself at home, your dress, those who are in the webcast. Because if you order this uniform through the webcast, it will be expensive for you. So you can see now how it looks and make it at home. Unnecessarily, why should your expenditure go up? So, come here, yoga uniform girls and boys. Here. Of course, they know by webcast, but come here. Yes, but that is not a proper uniform. It was self-made, but better than nothing. Well, you come, you have a nice one, yes. That's right. That's it. Go in the middle of the red carpet. Very good. Yes, since today is what you call the model. Yes? Walk, please. Oh, okay. Thank you. And of course, there are many people sitting. They are new in yoga. Then they try to collect money to buy a new yoga uniform. We have, every week, many people changing. So those who don't have yoga in their life, unfortunately, they are just beginners; they don't know about it. But now they know. So, I hope they will get it. I mean, they want to get it, but I don't know if it's available. So, prāṇāyāma, practicing āsanas, practicing with proper dress and meditation, you feel protected. Your bioenergy is protected. You create a kind of very fine boundary. I used to call it bulletproof. That no negative energy can enter you, mostly the orange color. There is no negative energy that can enter, and no infections can enter. Or a kind of green. And when you go to the hospital, in the operation theater, they have mostly that particular green color, doctors and nurses, because that color has been tested. And similarly, this color which we have chosen, it has been tested that negative energy cannot come through. Therefore, whenever you come to yoga practice, for yoga and daily life or anywhere, you should have this yoga and daily life uniform. So, afternoon at 5:30 will be a lecture on Apāna, and maybe, if we are quick enough, on Vyāna. A pokud budeme dostatečně rychlí, tak možná i o Vyāṇī. To je velice zajímavá věc. Takže se připravte na večer. Teď vám přeju hezký den. Čili odpoledne bude znovu věnované Prāṇe, Apāne a Vyāni. Všechno nejlepší. Dobře si odpočiňte. Have a good appetite.

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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