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Perfect holydays at the Gurukul -- Vep is a Gurukul at this time

A spiritual talk on the necessity of disciplined practice and sacred retreat.

"Therefore, the ṛṣis told family members to move out sometimes. But nowadays, holidays are no longer holidays. They have become like Hollywood."

"Kṛṣṇa said, 'Abhyāsa, abhyāsa, Kaunteya, abhyāsa, Arjuna'—practice, practice, practice. Without abhyāsa (practice), we cannot be successful."

The speaker addresses a gathering, contrasting the ancient concept of "Ekānta Vās" (sacred solitude) with modern distracted holidays. He emphasizes that receiving powerful spiritual techniques (kriyās) is fortunate, but without persistent, daily practice—like an Olympic athlete's training—it yields nothing. Using the analogy of a sitar master, he illustrates that perfection comes only from sustained effort, culminating in the ultimate goal of liberation.

Recording location: Hungary, Vep, Summer seminar

Due to hectic lives, social duties, and the many kleśas (afflictions) and vikṣepas (distractions) of this world, we sometimes cannot maintain our discipline. Therefore, the ṛṣis advised householders to practice "Ekānta Vās"—to go somewhere for a while and relax. What we have in the modern system are holidays. Yet, because of our busy schedules and obligations, we are often unable to practice; sometimes, no practice remains at all. That is why the ṛṣis told family members to move out sometimes. But nowadays, holidays are no longer holidays. They have become like Hollywood. Therefore, a place like this is best; this is beautiful Ekānta Vās. I would say this is a gurukul, where master and disciple sit together and engage in Upaniṣad. So only a few days are left. That is why I said, "Mauna (observe silence)," and enjoy this indescribable beauty of nature. This air is prāṇa; we can say prāṇa is life itself. God is not prāṇa—God is the giver of this prāṇa, and this prāṇa is the source of our life. Yoga means uniting; yoga is the balancing principle. It is about balance, harmony, and, finally, unity. Your understanding and your kriyās, which are very powerful kriyās, make you fortunate to be able to practice this. Fortunate too are those who are waiting and will receive these kriyās. The unfortunate, the unlucky, are those who stopped practicing. Everything is there, but without practice, it comes to nothing. For example, there is a sitar. If you give it to my hand and I try to play, you, as my disciple, might say, "Oh, nice, nice," but then, "Thank you, enough." Just to stop that noise, you might elegantly interrupt by asking, "Why is it that in this situation, the sitar has no sound, no resonance?" Why can't I bring it out? Now, we give it to a master like Ravi Shankar. With only a touch of two fingers, our heart becomes Caitanya (consciousness); we are all awakened. That is called the master's work. That is called practice; practice makes perfect, that is all. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa said, "Abhyāsa, abhyāsa, Kaunteya, abhyāsa, Arjuna"—practice, practice, practice. Without abhyāsa (practice), we cannot be successful. No one has succeeded till today through theory and talk alone. When the Olympics begin, you see that the best champion has been practicing every day for 15 hours. In India, a story is told of a disciple who asked his Gurujī, "Gurujī, do you do bhakti (devotion), or do you know Jīva (the soul)? Gurujī, are you also doing bhakti sādhanā (spiritual practice)?" The Gurujī replied, "My son, my heart, my soul knows how difficult it is, the tapasyā (austerity)." So a champion practices 15 hours continuously, lagatār (persistently), practicing every day, tired and worn. There are many cinemas and dancing clubs, but he is not interested in those. His dancing club is the goal: in five years at the Olympics, he wants the golden medal in his hand, that is it. And only the one who practices, practices will win. So, after some years, you should have not only a golden medal but a cosmic liberation medal in your hands. Practice, that is it. Thank you. Recording location: Hungary, Vep, 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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