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Patanjali's teaching

A discourse on the principles of non-violence and the detached soul.

"Ahimsā means do not cause pain to anyone in any way. That is why one should give up eating meat."

"It is said that God put two things on a scale... What was greater was the seva, the serving and helping."

The speaker explores the deep meaning of ahimsā (non-violence) in thought, word, and deed, citing Patañjali's teachings and the ideal harmony of an ashram. The discourse then shifts to the nature of the nirmohī ātmā—the detached, immortal soul that animates the body—and concludes that the purpose of human life and divine incarnation is selfless service (seva), which is presented as greater than even liberation itself.

Recording location: Czech Republic, Strilky, Summer seminar

Patañjali also preached extensively about ahimsā—non-violence. This means no hiṁsā in thinking, no hiṁsā in any actions, and no hiṁsā in words; only ahimsā. Hiṁsā means violent, negative thinking, while ahimsā means love and positive thinking. It is said that when Patañjali began to preach, he demonstrated this principle practically. Lions and tigers sat alongside the āshram cows. Birds sat there, and disciples sat without any fear of the tigers because he spread such a beautiful atmosphere of ahimsā. The animals understood him and his language, and he understood theirs. Like Śrī Devpurījī, all creatures followed what he said. They came to him, and he could direct them as he wished. It seems he spoke with them. Only one who has realized the ahimsā principle completely, through and through, can speak with them. Therefore, Holy Gurujī wrote a very nice bhajan about ahimsā. Ahimsā means do not cause pain to anyone in any way. That is why one should give up eating meat. Do not kill them; don't cause them pain. Do not take away their life; they also want to live. They do feel pain; they also have mother and father. They also love their children, just as we love our children and parents. Ahimsā, ahimsā, ahimsā. That is why in Rāja Yoga, Patañjali modified the system and placed the first word in yama and niyama as ahimsā. The first thing is ahimsā. Now, check your heart through and through. Check your mind through and through. Check your actions through and through. Listen carefully to your words. What percentage of ahimsā is there inside? That is why I said sādhanā, positive thinking, and do not talk negatively. Negative thinking and negative speaking are already hiṁsā; they are not ahimsā. So, a beautiful āshram, a beautiful landscape, where governing peace, harmony, love, and joy prevail. There is no fear; why should we fear there? No one takes anything from anyone; no one speaks badly. No one shouts at someone. No one wants to harm anyone; there is only giving love, understanding, and support. Those who come there, I think, are also sent; they are also holy. How beautiful that so many holinesses are gathering there, having each other's darśan—such Gurū brothers and sisters, such as parents, whom Mahāprabhujī called "brothers and sisters of my satsaṅg." "Satgurū Satsaṅgyārī Olu Avere." That is what Mahāprabhujī said: "I long for my brothers and sisters of the satsaṅgs." We shall develop such qualities that will free us from karmas, give us enlightenment, liberate us, and unite us with God. That is the fulfillment of our human life. So, lucky are they who can go towards the satsaṅg. Blessed are they who have the Master. They are initiated; they are fortunate ones; they have a holy name, a mantra. One should be thankful to those who showed them the way to the satsaṅg. Forever and ever, be thankful to them who inspired you, who first spoke to you about what a mantra is, what a master is, what satsaṅg is. Be thankful to them who first told you about tolerance and universal love; do not divide. Hate divides; ignorance divides. The love of wisdom unites. Thus, aspirants come to Patañjali, and Patañjali, without any doubts or dualities, instructs them on what to do. He talks about what the mind is, what consciousness is, what memory is, how many levels of consciousness there are, what kind of śakti is in the body, what is within the body. What is there, something which is living in the body? As long as that one is living, the whole body functions. The limbs move, circulation functions, every organ functions, every gland functions. The whole body is so beautiful, indescribable. There is something which hears in us, something which sees everything, something which smells, something which tastes. There is something which feels this very tender, gentle touch. The joints are flexible and moving; the muscles, the nerves, the skin—how beautiful. All this functions only because of one thing behind it all. That is the life, this ātmā. That jīvātmā, the soul, is divine; that ātmā presents God there. When it departs, nothing functions anymore. Every minute the body grows stiff. The joints soon become so stiff you cannot bend them anymore; if you try, you will break them. How does that one come into the body? How does it leave? No instrument can see it, and physical eyes cannot see it. That is an invisible traveler. That one is miraculous, coming and playing a beautiful game in this world through this body, and then it is gone. You never know when the bird came and sat, or when it flew away again. It has had many, many bodies, and it has left all those bodies here. That is called nirmohī; one of the names is nirmohī. Nirmohī means one who has no attachment. No moha, no ignorance. In some dictionaries, they translate moha as ignorance. It does mean ignorance. But generally, when we speak about moha 99% of the time, it means attachment. The reality is this: whenever you feel attached, it is not forever. You have to give it up, and at that time you will be unhappy. To get something valuable is not unpleasant. To get something makes you happy, but to give it back does not. Why? Moha. But that ātmā is nirmohī. There are some bhajans where it is said, "O nirmohī. Why are you so cruel? Can you feel and think a little bit?" But who says this? The mind, the unreality. And nirmohī is one with God. God is the nirmohī. That nirmohī comes, and that nirmohī goes. So you are also that one. Satsaṅg is that which inspires us and leads us to the realization that I am nirmohī. The nirmohī is sitting within you. Yet, to be a nirmohī is not easy. We might say that is an unfriendly person, an unsocial person who does not care, an arrogant one. Yes, according to this worldly system. But how long will you have this? It is you, one of us, who will stop all this. So, nirmohī here does not mean we stop our functions in society. No, we shall maintain everything. We shall behave accordingly; we should organize everything; we shall give love to all; serve all. It is said that God put two things on a scale to measure which was greater: on one side was mokṣa, eternal liberation, and on the other side was seva, serving and helping. What was greater was the seva, the serving and helping. Helping and serving is greater than liberation and mokṣa. Therefore, God decided Himself to incarnate again for what purpose? To serve. To help, through His being here, through His words, through His miracles. From time to time, God incarnates to serve. According to this, it seems our Self is also incarnated, born here to serve. To make all happy; do not make anyone unhappy. That unhappiness will reflect back to you. So, that Self functions in us through this body. And then the nirmohī goes away again. It sees that this body is not capable; this body is not what I thought; this body has become ill, old, diseased, with so many complications. How long should I endure this situation? Why should I endure? I am nirmohī. Let's go. It leaves the body here. Thus, it is the yogī who discovered this: there is the ātmā, the immortal one. A great saint named Kārolībābā said, "I am like the wind; no one can hold me. I am like the sky; no one can own me. I belong to no one, but still I will not leave thee." Still, he is one with us. It is within us. So, aspirants come to the yogīs. That is the difference between a yogī and, sometimes, a philosopher. Yogīs are reality, practical. It is they who can serve us the kind of nourishment we require. Yoginīs can provide us with the nourishment we need. Philosophers represent only theory. But it's not just about theory; it's about practice. And so, automatically, in satsaṅg, you receive all of this. Energy comes, light comes, wisdom comes. Maybe you don't feel it, but the process is there—a loving process, a divine process. Thus, bhaktas, sādhus, and aspirants used to come to Patañjali. They came humbly, very humbly, asking the Master, "Bless us, what can we do, what should we do?" And the Master knows what they are thinking and what they need. Only the Master knows. We do not. If you ask me what you think, I will say, "What do you think?" If you ask me what you think, I will say, "What do you think that I think what you think? Why should I think what you think?" It is your thing. It's not my thing. So you should think whatever you think. You will suffer. Therefore, do not overthink, nor think in ways that will make you unhappy. That's it. Check within yourself. Examine what you are thinking and what you are speaking. Then act correctly. Do what you think, but you should then think about what you do. Recording location: Czech Republic, Strilky, Summer seminar

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.

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