Now the world is frequently referred to as a global village however, as a global community we have a long, long way to go before we become a peaceful and integrated ‘village’. In this modern civilisation, humanity suffers in four ways.

1. Environmentally. Environmental pollution is a huge problem throughout the world. It is not limited to any one location, we are all affected. 
2. Immigration Challenges. One of the modern world’s greatest global challenges. 
3. Unemployment. A problem of subsistence. 
4. Water. Problems of water scarcity, sanitation and access increase every year. 

These problems are all created by humans, due to the modern way of living, the modern way of education, and the modern way of thinking. Our entire global system is wrong. The problem is largely associated with one common expression: “I don’t care”. As well as, “I don’t want to do that any more.” “It's not my duty.” “I don’t care about others…” and so on. But we must not break our relationship with others or with nature, for human life is about learning and understanding the value of relationships. 

If humans had cultivated their sense of relationship (without selfish expectation), then better care would have been taken of nature, the animals, of water and human society. If we had done the necessary, we would not be facing the problems of today. For example, in the past we had to fetch water from far away and carry it home, therefore we were careful how we used it. Today however, we clean our vegetables and wash our dishes under running water and waste millions of litres day after day! 

It’s a mistake to think there is enough water on earth to last forever, for this will change very soon. Less than 50 years ago many healthy creatures lived in our rivers, but now the situation is vastly different in many locations around the world where bacteria, pollution and disease proliferate more than ever before, making it dangerous to drink the water. 

As a human society we need to become much more aware of our environment and begin to protect it. Pollution is not just about physical pollution. By far the greatest pollution is mental pollution - it is mental pollution that has brought the planet to this point today. 

Some may consider that the last 60 years has brought great development to the world and a democratic way of life. Perhaps yes, but I would say that the world has developed towards destruction with so many diseases, catastrophes, wars and pollution… this never happened in the past. Be cautioned against always thinking, “The government shall do, the government shall fix…” Governments require public support and encouragement to do the necessary. That is democracy. 

Become attentive, becoming discerning, learn to differentiate between need and greed. Don’t be a consumer of such things that harm our planet, our relationships, our spirituality. 

To only pray all the time is not spirituality. Spirituality means to also take action to care for this beautiful living planet. Never think and never say: “I don’t care.” We should care about every relationship in this world. It may be about your house, the river, the washing powder, your way of dressing, what you buy, what you eat, your friends, other humans and animals. 

Care for others and live according to the principle of Ahimsa Paramo Dharma “non-violence is the highest duty”. Never cause harm to anyone, via your thought, word or deed. Accept and respect different opinions, cultural traditions and religions. To accept others, we must also learn to accept ourselves. As my Grand-Master, Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji used to say, “When you understand the Divine within yourself you will recognise it in all living creatures.” 

Mankind’s primary obligation is to protect life in all its forms and manifestations of existence. To actualise this, it is necessary to adopt a different way of thinking and behaving in every day life. “Love, tolerance, help and understanding” not only applies between individuals, but also amongst nations, cultures, races and religions. There is also the necessity to accept each being as a part of the eternal cycle of life, as each has an opportunity for individual development with duties to fulfill on earth. 

Humans ought to be the protectors of life, not destroyers of life. If one cannot give life then one has no right to take it. That’s the reason why the killing of animals and eating of meat is rejected. The philosophy of non-duality and Sat Sanatan Dharma postulates that in this world – humans, animals, plants and inorganic materials – are created by one God. All creatures are the children of one Creator. All living beings are part of one united family. 

The responsibility for one’s life and development remains with one’s self. There are many ways to find one’s inner Self and God. Each person has their own spiritual path and pursues it with different speed and dedication. The principles of self-responsibility and tolerance help to stimulate each person’s realisation of God according to one’s individual system of belief. 

God as the creating principle, pervades the whole of creation and is called Nirguna – God without form. When manifest in material form, including in living beings, this principle is called Saguna – God with form. In all religions, Saguna is represented by spiritual persons, saints and holy incarnations, who spread the divine message. Today, many people find it hard to accept God in Saguna form, so for those still searching it is a good alternative to view God in Mother Nature and to learn to recognise God’s creative power everywhere and in everyone. Each of us explores feelings of unity with creation in our own way, either in nature or in places of worship. 

To live sustainably on this planet and to achieve lasting world peace, humans must re-awaken to the vital significance of maintaining their ethical and spiritual values, whilst at the same time fostering a genuine commitment to care for the community of life - all of life - with understanding, compassion and love. Revival of humanity’s ethical and spiritual values is the ‘first-step’ in affecting the change we want to see for Mother Earth.

Peace, Happiness & Contentment is your True Nature

By His Holiness Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda

Founder of Yoga in Daily Life ®

Questions to Swamiji

“Swamiji, do we have the power to change the state of world affairs?”

Yes, because peace begins from your own heart. If you want peace in the world, you must first have peace within. Each one of our thoughts and actions, manifests in some way in the world. This is the law of karma and we can’t avoid it. You may find it easy to walk into the office in the morning and smile at everyone, but not so easy to kiss and make up with the person with whom you argued last night. But you can’t avoid it, eventually you have to come to terms with the situation and yoga can help you do that.

The regular practice of yoga can help you overcome bad moods, negative thoughts, emotional upsets, anger, depression and fear. According to the teachings of yoga, located within the human body are different energy centres, which hold both positive and negative tendencies. These energy centres are known as chakras, and the chakra near the base of the spine is the storehouse of our subconscious mind, where all life experiences and impressions are held. The symbol of this chakra is a six-petalled lotus, each petal representing a negative quality to be oversome - anger, hatred, jealousy, cruelty, desire and pride.

Anger is a great devil in our body. What you call ‘the devil’ drinks the blood of others, but the devil of anger not only drinks the blood of others, but yourself also! Anger is a great thief, who comes to your door and robs you of everything, whereas depression is a kind of pain, a feeling of loss or loneliness. Depression descends when we become disappointed in one or more aspects of our life - our professional life, family life, friends or the environment. We try hard to overcome our disappointments, but often get knocked down.

All these impressions of life subside into our subconscious and come out in dreams, restless behaviour, anxiety, stress or nerves. When depressed, angry, fearful or jealous, it is important to remember that these feelings are not the totality of our personality, and therefore refrain from identifying with that particular emotional state. What to do?

Yoga and meditation. Learn to meditate, become steady in it, and you will move beyond the pain and suffering in life to experience calmness, compassion, serenity and gratitude. How will this help in daily life, in dealing with others? It helps us see another person’s perspective and why they may be behaving in a certain way. It helps us to see our own qualities and to observe our thoughts. We then consider if those thoughts are positively influencing ourselves and others, or negatively.

Meditating on the chakra of the heart centre awakens compassion and humility, allowing us to curb the impulses of anger, fear or depression that arise when challenged. Yoga exercises also release the impressions of stored emotions from the energy centres in our body, and regular practice of these cannot only harmlessly release them, but also give us immense energy, greater flexibility, improved circulation and respiratory function, and enhanced immunity.

How we live each and every day affects, not only our own personal being, but the future of our world and even our planet. For us to have a positive outcome of world affairs, it is necessary to adopt a sound way of life that will keep us going in the right direction. The philosophy and practice of Yoga in Daily Life will definitely help you.

by Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda (Swamiji)

Mantra is the embodiment of the Supreme itself. Mantra is a source of energy as fire is the source of heat, and ice is the source of cold. A mantra is expressed in human language and developed by human consciousness. A mantra can exist in any language. What is essential though is that it goes through the human brain, human consciousness the human mind.

A mantra is not sound, but in fact the origin of sound. And sound originates from radiating energy. So we can say that radiating energy is the source of sound. Sound can create good or bad energy. Sound can create wars or stop wars. Sound can make you happy or unhappy. When someone tells you good things you are happy, and when someone shouts you are unhappy. It can be a blessing as well as a curse. The way in which you utilize and filter sound determines how it will influence prana.

Prana is maintaining our life. Maybe we can say that the atma (the Self) is prana (energy). You cannot see prana, you cannot measure it, and you cannot destroy it. Prana comes, prana goes. Prana is connected to something for a while. Prana is in the entire body. We cannot say where the soul is located within the body. It is in the whole body. We say that God is in every heart, because the heart is so sensitive, we feel everything there. Some do not believe this and ask, how could God 'sit' in the heart. If you go to a surgeon or cardiologist and ask if he has seen God in the heart while operating, or if there is any special vibration in the heart, he will say: "No, it is the same as all other organs. It is a pump, it weights 300g and when it stops, life is gone."

Some say that God is in the brain and this is also true. In fact, God, I, or the soul cannot be centred, because it is everywhere. That's why Self-realisation is a great problem for many people. Many people think, "When I get Self-realisation I will see my Self in my heart, and know: 'Yes, this is me. Now I can see it!'" But it is not like this. It is very hard to explain what Self-realisation is - what you realise and how you realise the Self. Self is not like the body, which you can see in a mirror or on a photo. How can you see the Self? Self is not like a picture or something that you can close away and say, "Now I have Self-realisation". It's not something that you can have. Self, prana, mantra and life you cannot describe. You can talk and talk, yet however hard you try, the Self is still something different. You cannot define it. It's like an onion: you take away all the layers, but still you cannot grasp the "onion".

Mantra is very closely connected to the Self, and prana is the radiance of being the Self. The way you think and speak sends out your prana, your energy, your blessings, and this has an effect on others. When you think or say something, you have already created a mantra and with that you give your prana. Blessings are good from everyone, even from your enemy or from a crazy person. And in the same way a curse is not good from anybody, even from God.

Your Guru-mantra has immense energy, because it is given from the Master with his blessing. When you repeat it with your whole being, you put even more energy into it, and that will purify you. When you meditate and repeat your mantra, in the field of your own phenomena - your existence which has come together from many, many lives - the mantra will detect and root out certain tendencies and karmas. It will make you aware of your problems. And so you should utilise your buddhi and viveka to calm down and finish these problems - without becoming angry and without getting scared. Therefore, when you practise mantra, manyvrittis (thought waves) come, because the mantra brings up many things and purifies many things. It's like the sun rising - as it rises darkness disappears.

Say your mantra inwardly before you say anything, because it creates such positive energy that you can't become angry or jealous. Everything you say will have been filtered through the positive energy of the mantra. Holy Guruji always said: guru satsang, guru seva andmantra. Very often he said antahkarana suddhi - purification of the antahkarana [the mind, consciousness, intellect & ego] - that is the work of the mantra. Repeat, repeat, repeat, don't just count, repeat.

Take a sankalpa, do 5 malas every day, and the rest of the day repeat it as much as you can. Just repeat, don't count.

Mantra is a blessing, a self-blessing. You received mantra from the Master with his blessing, and the more you repeat it the more you bless yourself, and the more you bless the world. But don't go around and say "I bless you. I give you blessing". A great one does not speak about himself, saying how great he is, nor does he sing the glory of himself. A diamond never praises its own value, but we honour its value and admire its beauty.

The more wise you are, the more humble you become; the more spiritual you are, the kinder you will be.

Free yourself from the prison and don't imprison yourself again by thinking negatively and talking badly of others. Some are in the prison of their emotions and others are in the prison of bad thoughts. Everyone is caught within something. To be free from all this, that's calledSaha Ant, moksha, freedom. Free yourself from that inner prison.

Based on the authentic Yoga tradition “Yoga in Daily Life” contains the pure essence of the original Yoga teachings and was developed by Paramhans Swami Maheshwaranand specifically to suit the modern mind and lifestyle.

This system of Yoga offers a simple means of relief from both physical and mental stress – guiding the way to a more peaceful state of mind. “Yoga in Daily Life” is not limited only to the physically fit, but can be practised by people of all ages and states of health.

The yoga exercises have a harmonising effect in equal measure on our body, mind and soul.

They balance through relaxation, gentle, conscious body movements with breathing and are therefore calming and regenerating at the same time. “Yoga in Daily Life” helps to manage everyday life and life situations in a relaxed and positive manner.

Many people suffer from nervousness, anxiety, stress, uneasiness, plaguing thoughts, sleep disorders and similar ailments. Here the relaxation that is practised at the beginning of each exercise course is especially helpful. The inability to relax may lead to diseases. The ability to release physical and mental tension allows us to acquire inner quiet, peace, harmony and a better quality of life.

“Yoga in Daily Life” begins with special and constitutive body exercises called "Sarva Hitta Asanas" – which lead to wholistic well being by balancing body, mind and soul.  The performance of these exercises is both very simple and very effective.

They can be practised by people of all ages, and one needs neither to be athletic nor specially trained. In the process the movements are coordinated with the breathing, which has a very positive effect on the nervous system. The muscles and ligaments will be dilated, stretched and invigorated. The spinal column and joints will remain elastic and become flexible again.

With regular practicing once a week flexibility increases. With a more intensive weekly regimen one can even make faster progress. Body consciousness, flexibility and breathing will be improved. The power of concentration, inner balance and peace will also advance. The “Yoga in Daily Life” exercises have a preventive effect on high blood pressure, diabetes, back and joints disorders, and can alleviate existing ailments.

The breathing exercises play an important role in maintaining health and promote mental and physical relaxation. The breathing exercises give the body an opportunity to replenish its energy supply. Through the cleansing of respiratory tracts and blood, and increased oxygen absorption (energy input) we attain well being, mental balance and regain vitality and zest for life. This is why we regard the Yoga breathing exercise as the true “fountain of youth”.

Concentration and meditation exercises top off the exercise course. They help us to think positively and clearly, and to approach our true Self. In meditation we learn about our true Self and learn how we can attain inner and outer peace.

“Yoga in Daily Life” teaches us to experience each moment consciously, to enjoy each stage in our life and to lead a conscious, meaningful and healthy life.

Yoga means balance, harmony and unity. Universal balance, Harmony of body, mind and soul and Unity of the individual consciousness with the cosmic consciousness.

The ancient science of Yoga, readily equips humans to reinstate world peace, environmental sustainability, as well as harmony between individuals, communities, religions and nations. In modern times, Yoga has unfortunately come to mean only physical exercise or posture, however that is only one aspect of this ancient science, the others are neglected. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Yog’ meaning union. Yoga is that single universal principle which balances the entire universe. All elements, visible and invisible, as well as all stars, moons and sun systems, are entirely sustained by the balancing principle of Yoga. How old is Yoga?

There is much evidence to attest to the age of Yoga. Over ten thousand years ago in the era of Lord Rama, the great Sage Valmiki wrote the renowned epic the Ramayana, in which is described the glory of Yoga. Also in that epic, many historic events were recorded, one of those being the construction of a bridge between India and Sri Lanka by Hanuman and other devotees of Lord Rama. Recent satellite photos taken by NASA clearly show from space remnants of a man-made bridge, submerged in the ocean between Sri Lanka and India, and scientists have dated this bridge at 1.75 million years old.

The origin of Yoga is explained in the Vedas, the oldest written scriptures known to man. In these, it is said, Ananta Brahmand Sahastra Suryas – this universe is endless – and the Vedas declare that within it are thousands of solar systems. We humans exist in just one of these. The word Ananta means endless and the Vedas call this endless universe Mahakasha – the great void of nothingness. Within Mahakasha is consciousness – Chaitanya –  Cosmic Consciousness. This Cosmic Consciousness, Hiranayagarbha can be likened to the ‘golden-womb of mother consciousness, and it is this ‘Yog’ or Yoga (the uniting or mother principle) that nourishes and sustains all of life.

In the beginning nothing was existent in Mahakasha, only the dormant potential for life -

the principles of Universal Consciousness and Universal Energy. These two principles are always co-existent, there is never one without the other, but in order to manifest or create a third is required and that creative willpower is known as Iccha Shakti. Iccha Shakti is the divine will and all that happens in this universe is attributable to it. The cosmic Self began to act and express itself – Svayambhu.

Svayambhu is He who creates Himself, “I am one and now I will multiply” and at the moment of this awakening the original sound of the universe began to resonate, and that is Om. The Vedas declare, Nada Rupa Parabrahma – the form of the Supreme is sound. Other religions also recognise this and in the Bible it is said, “In the beginning was the word, and that word was God”.

Without doubt, all religions do agree that God, Consciousness, the Cosmic Power is existent in every living being. Consciousness is never inert; it is existent in all things at all times – in the human, in the animal, in the plant and even the stone. We humans give this consciousness various names such as God, Truth, Light or Energy. But how did consciousness manifest itself?

In the fourth chapter of the holy book the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna is in dialogue with his most faithful disciple Arjuna. He says, “From time to time I manifest myself through the power of my Yog-Maya”. This then dates Yoga back to the origin of the universe and it is recorded in the Vedas that Yoga is older than the universe.  Since Yoga is so ancient, then it is apparent that Yoga is not a branch of any religion, but is indeed the source and basis of all religions. It is Sanatana Dharma – the eternal universal principle – the one eternal religion that has neither beginning nor end, it always was existent and will always be. Therefore, since Yoga is the common inheritance of all religions of the world, there is no cause or justification for conflict or disharmony between the different faiths.

The principles of Yoga are universal, noble and divine, and Hindu monks and Rishis have adopted it as a way of life. It was not the Sage that made Yoga, it was Yoga that made the Sage. Hindus believe in one God, the Omnipresent and Omniscient, and recognise and worship Him in many forms.

Each faith has its doctrines firmly established in the principles of Yoga – belief in God, prayer to God, love all equally, protect life, live in harmony with nature and strive for God-Realisation or Oneness with the Supreme. Even a brief look at the teachings inherent in Islam, Judaism, Buddhism as well as the Christian traditions, will reveal this. The essence of all religions is Yoga, with spiritual development and Realisation of God the ultimate goal. Unfortunately religious dogmas have over-shadowed these similarities and that is why differences are seen. Yoga however is non-dogmatic and teaches that everyone can attain and realise God. There is of course no universal recipe and each person must find his or her own way. Yoga can help and guide us in our search as it offers each seeker, thousands of years of experience and living examples of holy men and sages who attained God Realisation.

The great Sage Maharishi Patanjali (800BC) modified the philosophy of Yoga into four main branches, according to the range of qualities existent in humans. These are Bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion, Karma Yoga the path of action, Jnana Yoga the path of philosophy and intellect, and Raja Yoga the path of self-discipline.

Bhakti yoga is the path of devotion to the Divine. Devotion is of two types – devotion to a personal God, God with form is Saguna Bhakti; and an impersonal devotion to God , God without form is Nirguna Bhakti. Either way, Bhakti Yoga is pure selfless love from the heart and is the most safe path. It is not that one indiscriminately embraces everyone, but rather demonstrates their love with positive feelings, and is a well-wisher to all. To love one’s neighbours and all creatures, is to love God.

As it is said in Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita, the Lord Krishna proclaims:

He who hates no being, who is friendly and compassionate to all, who is free from the feeling of “I” and “mine”, who is even-minded in pain and pleasure and who is forbearing, ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled and possessed of firm conviction, with mind and intellect fixed on Me, that devotee is very dear to Me.

He who is the same to friend and foe, who is unmoved by honour or dishonour, who is

the same in heat and cold, free from attachment, content with anything, full of devotion – that devotee is dear to Me.

As described by the great Sage Narada Rishi, there are nine principles to the path of Bhakti Yoga.

• Satsang – to keep good society, and spiritual gathering
• Hari Katha – to hear and read about God, to study the holy scriptures
• Shraddha – faith
• Ishvara Bhajan – to sing the praises of God
• Mantra Japa – repetition of God’s name
• Shama  and Dama – to withdraw and control the senses with regard to worldly things
• Santo Ka Adar – to honour people who have dedicated their life to God – Sadhus
• Santosha – contentment
• Ishvara Pranidhana – surrender to God

These nine principles of Bhakti Yoga can be found in all the religions of this world. If one is practising these principles, one is practising Bhakti Yoga, the path of Love.

Karma yoga is the path of action and there are two types of action, Sakama Karma, selfish and Nishkama Karma, selfless. The intent with which an action is carried out determines its outcome therefore a karma yogi considers the activities of human life an opportunity to serve God.  “Helping hands have more value than folded hands” and in this way a karma yogi is always prepared to serve others above and beyond serving their own personal interests. Also, a karma yogi does not seek reward or the fruits of their actions.

In Chapter 3 of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna asks Lord Krishna, “You say that knowledge is superior to action, why then do you ask me to do battle? Your words are causing me confusion, therefore tell me with certainty the path by which I may attain the Supreme?”

Krishna replies, “Oh sinless one, in the beginning I gave the two-fold path to the world – the path of knowledge to the discerning and the path of work to the active.

No one can ever remain actionless for even a moment; for everyone is helplessly driven to action by the Gunas, born of Prakriti.

That deluded man is called a hypocrite who sits controlling the organs of action, but dwells in his mind on the objects of the senses. But he excels O’Arjuna who restrains the senses and directs his organs of action to the path of work.

Engage yourself in obligatory work, for action is superior to inaction, and if inactive, even the maintenance of your body would not be possible.

Surrender all your actions to Me with your thoughts resting on Self, freed from hope and selfishness, and cured of mental fever, engage in battle”.

Raja Yoga is the eight-fold path of discipline and practice. Self-discipline is the key to success and in order to guide the spiritual seeker how to live life, certain moral and ethical principles are set down, known as the Yamas and Niyamas.

Yama – is self control through the following:

• Ahimsa – non violence in thought, word and deed - “Thou shalt not kill” is the highest precept
• Satya – truthfulness
• Asteya – non-stealing
• Brahmacharya –one’s thoughts always established in Brahman, leading a pure way of life, or celibacy
• Aparigraha – non-accumulation of possessions

Niyama – is discipline through the following:

• Saucha – purity, both within and without
• Santosha –contentment
• Tapas – endurance and self-control
• Svadhyaya – study of the holy scriptures
• Ishvara Pranidhana – surrender to God

The other limbs of Raja Yoga include:

Asana – comfortable and steady posture, exercise

Pranayama – regulation of the breath

Pratyahara – withdrawal of the senses

Dharana – concentration

Dhyana – meditation

Samadhi – realisation of the Self, oneness with God – where knowledge, knower and object have merged into one.

The fourth path is Jnana yoga, the path of knowledge. There are two types of knowledge, Apara Vidya – worldly knowledge and Para Vidya –knowledge of the Supreme.  A Jnana Yogi seeks to understand the transcendental truth, to solve the mystery of birth, death and the purpose of life. Jnana Yoga serves to differentiate between what is permanent and impermanent and the spiritual seeker is trained to utilise their Viveka (discrimination) in order to progress from Avidya (ignorance) to Vidya (knowledge).

There are four elements to Jnana Yoga.

• Viveka – means the highest use of one’s intellect to discern or discriminate between right and wrong, reality and unreality. Viveka is the purest form of knowledge and is the supreme authority of our conscience.

• Vairagya – means renunciation. As Mahatma GandhiJi said, “Renounce and enjoy” and the great Saint, Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji of Bari Khatu said, “Enter the kingdom of God through the gate of sacrifice”. Liberate yourself from those inner impurities, negative states of mind, and do not become entangled by worldly pleasures. Vairagya means to renounce and endure.

• Shat Sampatthi – refers to our six inner treasures.

1. Sama – withdrawal of the senses and the mind
2. Dama – control of the senses and mind
3. Uparati – to stand above things
4. Titiksha – to remain steadfast, to endure
5. Shraddha – to have faith, trust & confidence in the Holy scriptures and one’s master
6. Samadhana – to have determination and purpose, never lose sight of the goal

• Mumukshtva – is the constant striving for God. A burning desire in the heart of a seeker to realise and unite with God.

The ultimate aim of Yoga is Samadhi - where knowledge, knower and the object, all merge into oneness - when the individual consciousness merges with the cosmic consciousness. In order to achieve this, there are four primary aims for each human to realise in their life – Dharma, Artha, Karma and Moksha.

1. Dharma is duty. Each person has certain obligations to fulfil and as such must live their life accordingly. As humans the highest dharma is Ahimsa, non-violence. The highest obligation for humans is to protect, not destroy. This means to protect all life, not only human life but animal life too. There is no greater sin than to kill or injure. If we have no feeling for the pain that an animal suffers when it is slaughtered, or close our eyes to its suffering, then it is no wonder that humans must suffer the consequence of terrible afflictions such as disease, environmental catastrophes and war. Therefore Yoga strongly advocates leading a vegetarian life.
2. Artha is wealth. However the best wealth to accumulate is spiritual wealth. Money and possessions should be distributed for the benefit of all, especially the poor and needy.“Wealth is the happiness found in joy, love and clarity of mind. Distribute wealth to all living beings and in this we will fulfil the purpose of life”.
3. Karma means any mental or physical act. As mentioned previously, always strive to be selfless in whatever we do. Selfless actions are also a way to resolve past negative actions, therefore always choose to act in such a way that all will benefit everyone and in doing so we will guide our own destiny towards the positive.
4. Moksha is liberation, liberation from the cycle of birth-death-rebirth. Moksha is not only the aim but the final destination of every being. Moksha can only be achieved when all impurities and negative qualities are dissolved and for this the guidance of a spiritual master is required.

The Brahma Nishta Shrotriya Sataguru, is that Master who is fully established in non-duality - they have achieved Moksha, the ultimate goal of human life and live in oneness with God. Only such a spiritual master is able to guide us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge. Within each and every human being is the ability to realise that we are part of that universal God. Our physical presence in this world is solely attributed to the power of Yoga. There is immense energy stored in the human body, but unfortunately in most people it is dormant. Humans have such immense wealth that they can be likened to sack full of diamonds.

Every individual is on Ananta Yatra – an endless journey. Since the creation of this universe our individual soul has been travelling. But where? Everyone is in a hurry running here and there, but where are you going? Ask yourself these questions:

Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? Why am I here? Where will I go? Until we have truly realised the answers to these questions from the depths of our own meditation experience, we will continue to run. “Know thy Self” is the solution to all our problems and the answer to all our questions.

The human soul has experienced much good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant karmic reactions, and untold suffering. Desire, pride, ego and greed constantly delay us from reaching the final destination. We continue to live in the darkness of ignorance, with anger, hatred and duality separating us from each other. As a result humans are not able to live together as they should. Today there is not enough tolerance amongst religions, little respect amongst cultures and an absence of love between nations.

It is high time to demonstrate love to our fellow humans, to all of mankind, and to pray for them. Perhaps we don’t feel inclined to show love because we are not personally related to another. As the saying goes, “blood is thicker than water” and when that is the case, we experience more pain or sadness when a blood-relative suffers. However, we should show our love and kindness even if there is no blood relationship. Great is that one who has equal empathy and compassion for all.

In today’s world situation we should pray for those who are involved in war – for all the soldiers from the different countries. No one is to be blamed. We can only say that it is our bad destiny, a bad destiny for humans. Mahatma GandhiJi said, “We don’t hate the person, we hate the action”. Our prayers should be for the whole world and for all those who live on this planet. We ask God to please listen to our prayers.

It is the human condition that is responsible for the critical situation of our world – both in terms of both war and environmental catastrophe. Mother Earth is seriously suffering because day-by-day humans are destroying her. Our rivers, lakes, oceans and seas are polluted. Our fields, mountains and skies are polluted. The whole environment is poisoned due to human greed. Indeed the most dangerous pollution is mental pollution. How can we hope to achieve lasting world peace and sustainable development without first correcting the state of the human mind?

The first step that we must take is to bring Love and Respect into our consciousness in order to heal the wounds that have existed for such a long time. Peace and happiness cannot be bought in the market, it can only be developed within. A Yogi would say, renounce and limit your needs. Renounce all those things that give us trouble and open our heart and hands in order to give. Renounce greed, renounce anger, renounce duality and narrow-thinking. Open the heart and give understanding. Understand another’s feelings, understand another’s life situation and grant them their rights. Give them happiness and forgiveness. Do not violate anyone physically, mentally or emotionally.  Never be the cause of another’s tears, since all creatures are the embodiment of God and He is the Father of All. All comes from Him, He is the ultimate. As Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji said, “Love each and every living being as least as much as you love yourself”. God is one, and dwells in all. We gave Him different names and images - we call Him Father, Allah, Ishwara, Divine Will, Love, the highest Self, Truth and so on. There are as many images of God as there are people on the face of the earth. 

Since Yoga is the balancing principle that sustains all of life, it is Yoga that will restore harmony to our world. Take this example - a wall is made of bricks, mortar and water. If the wall breaks we must repair it with exactly the same materials – bricks, mortar and water. Similarly, leading a Yogic life will remove dualism from an individual’s mind and restore their inner peace. The result will automatically be demonstrated in the outer world. There will be peace between individuals and communities, and humans will live in harmony with nature. The human family must be deeply established in tolerance, respect and understanding, towards religions, cultures and nations.<