So many factories, so many technologies, machines, cars, ships… Is this really progress and if we call this progress, what shall we call destruction? Manipulation of nature has almost destroyed the natural environment and caused great damage to our holy Mother Earth. Living in absence of spiritual and ethical values has robbed people of the knowledge of their interconnectedness with all of life.

One of the Golden Teachings of my Grand-Master, Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji is: 

"Never disregard nature or its laws, else nature will take its retribution”. 

There are three great powers in the world: money, media and politics. Money influences the decisions made in the world. Money is what people think about all the time and this will go on until it is realised, we cannot "eat" our money. The media, unfortunately, focus on violence rather than on promoting human values and ethics to educate humanity and foster love for one another. Politics (not religion), is the third great power yet sustainable development and pathways to peace cannot be forged by political means alone. This will happen only when the religious and spiritual leaders of the world are involved in the process. 

The highest obligation for all humans is to protect, not to destroy. This means to protect all of life, not only human life but the earth and 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 catastrophe and war. 

The human soul has experienced many good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant karmic reactions, along with untold suffering. Desire, pride, ego and greed constantly delay us from reaching our 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 unable to live together as they should. Today unfortunately there is not enough tolerance amongst religions, too little respect amongst cultures and an absence of love between nations. 

It is this human condition that is responsible for the critical situation of our world today – both in terms of war and environmental catastrophe. Mother Earth suffers so seriously 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 live sustainably without first correcting the state of the human mind? 

Each individual is on an Ananta Yatra – an endless journey. Our individual soul has been travelling since the creation of this universe, but where? Ask these questions: Who am I? From where do I come? Where am I going? Why am I here? Where will I go? 

Until humans have realised the answers to these questions from the depths of their own experience, they will continue to travel. To “know thy Self” is the solution to all human problems and the answer to all of life’s questions. 

To heal the wounds that have existed for such a long time, the first step we must take is to bring Love and Respect into our consciousness. Peace and happiness cannot be bought in the market-place they can only be developed within. A Yogi would say, renounce and limit your needs. 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. 

Never violate anyone physically, mentally or emotionally. Never be the cause of another’s tears, since all beings are the embodiment of God and He is the father of all. Everything 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 give 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. 

Each faith has its doctrines firmly established in very similar principles: belief in God, Prayer, equal Love for all, Protection of life and to dwell in Harmony with nature. 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 faiths is spiritual development, with Realisation of God the ultimate goal. Unfortunately religious dogmas in most cultures have over-shadowed these similarities and that is why differences are seen. However Sat Sanatan Dharma reminds us that everyone can attain and realise God. There is of course no universal recipe and each individual must find their own way. 

Although the current world situation exhibits otherwise, multi-religious and inter-cultural diversity need not be a threat to the existence of human society or the functioning of a cohesive and peaceful global village. The Vedas declare that one God has created this world. All creatures therefore are the children of the one Creator and all living beings are part of one universal family. Thus it ought to be the aim of every individual to create a responsible and caring society so as to experience the beauty of life and realise God. The highest precept therefore is to protect all living beings, in all forms and manifestations of existence. 

To understand this, it’s necessary to adopt a holistic way of thinking and acting in life – this will remove duality from an individual’s mind and restore inner peace. The result will automatically be demonstrated in the outer world – humans will recognise their responsibility towards the world and the environment in which we live. 

Sustainable living and lasting world peace can only be achieved if humans re-awaken to the significance of maintaining their ethical and spiritual values, whilst fostering a genuine commitment to care for the community of life with understanding, compassion and love. A culture of peace will only grow out of the beliefs and traditions of people themselves, which naturally transfers into non-violent relations between individuals, communities, nations and the environment. 

God has two forms: Nirguna and Saguna. Nirguna is the universal form of God that cannot be seen with physical eyes. We only can see this form of God with our inner-eye or inner-senses, as trans­cendental streams of light and sound, and recognise it with our mind as divine knowledge and wisdom. Do you want to see God in Saguna-form? Then look into Nature and discover Him in every living being. He is reflected in every appearance of life. 

Respect for Nature is Respect for God.

The Master and disciple tradition came from Lord Shiva. The disciple must develop complete confidence and faith and become one with the master. Just as all the rivers merge with the waters of the holy Ganga, similarly the disciple enters the consciousness of the Master. Traditionally master and Disciple have a long lineage. It is said that God loves all creatures, even more than the parents love their own, and it is in this way the Master loves their disciple more than God. The disciple is that mental child of the Master and the Master is preparing that disciple to inherit their spirituality, their spiritual heritage. 

There are many ready to inherit your material heritage but rare who are ready to receive your spiritual heritage. Also, spiritual heritage cannot be taken by force, it is very gently transferred from Master to disciple and it can be transferred to many, not necessarily just one. You can imagine with which kind of attention, love and strictness I am trying to give to Avatarpuri and to others also. There are many diamonds and I must still make them shine. 

Long, long ago in the Himalaya between Kedranath and Badrinath, high up in the Himalayan peaks there lived a great saint, Sri Alakh Puriji. If you read the Mahabharata, the Pandavas, Kunti and their dog went to the Himalaya to enter the heaven as it is said the path to heaven is there. The five Pandavas went to Alakh Puruji and got his blessing. At that place there flows a beautiful river called Alakh Nanda that comes from the high Himalaya between Kedranath and Badrinath. From Gangotri, flows the river Bhagirath where the great saint Bhagirath made his spiritual sadhana. He called the Ganga from heaven and it came with a great forceful storm and no one was ready to receive that water as it would break the earth in two, so all ran to Lord Shiva for protection and he received the force of the Ganga water from heave on his head. This river of Bhagirath and Alakh Nand converge at Devprayag and from there it flows as the river Ganga. 

The highest village in India, is a village called Alakha named after Alakh PuriJi. Still he lives in his pranic body and very rarely does he give darshan to his devotees. Sri Devpuriji from Rajasthan was blessed by AlakhpuriJi and he returned to Rajasthan with the Shiva’s blessing. Sri Devpuriji could give life back to the dead body and you can read more about it in the book Lila Amrit. 

Sri Devpuriji then gave all his spiritual wisdom to Sri Mahaprabhuji and we adore him as our grandmaster. Then our beloved Holy Guruji served Mahaprabhuji for many, many years and all spiritual heritage was given to Holy Guruji. 

When a disciple receives the spiritual heritage, blessing and gains Atma Gyan, then that one becomes free from karma. Whatever he or she does, the karma does not touch them. If you adore them, their spiritual energy will come to you. If you doubts and speak negatively, all the physical karma of their body will come to you. Therefore the holy tradition is to surrender and accept and develop devotion. Holy Guruji gave me his divine light and I took upon my shoulders that responsibility to take that divine wisdom further to the world. So you and I are those who receive the spiritual heritage of Holy Guruji and it depends on us how we take it further. This is the story of our lineage. 

Before you become a disciple of anyone you should know the background and know the spiritual lineage, otherwise there are many self-made gurus who have no roots. Our spiritual source is from Lord Shiva himself. More you should read in the Lila Amrit. 

Thank you, God Bless you. 

Hari Om.

Today is one of the most beautiful constellations and beautiful days in the year. Every day is beautiful but today is special. Today Lord Shiva is celebrated, adored and worshipped throughout the whole world, where millions upon millions meditate upon him and repeat his name. Today is Shivaratri, the night of Lord Shiva! In every Shiva temple in the world they will perform abhisheka throughout the night – millions of people are reciting Lord Shiva’s name, fasting all day and in the morning they shall break their fast. Why fast? When you fast, your energy is balanced and it is also a kind of austerity, purification of consciousness, with control over the senses to balance your intellect and emotions. More spiritual energy develops in your heart and consciousness when you fast. Each atom in our body and on this planet vibrates today with the energy of Lord Shiva. 

Who is Shiva? Shiva is known as Svayambhu. No one created him, he manifested himself. He was the first creative consciousness in Anant Brahmand, the endless universe. This endless universe we compare with the body of the mother whom we call the Cosmic Mother, and within her that cosmic consciousness resides - it is not dormant, it is residing - like an embryo in the body of the human mother. Within this endless universe the reasonance awakes – Nada– the sound. That sound is known as OM and that sound still resonates in the entire universe, not only on our planet. Each blood cell still resonates immensely with this manifestation of Lord Shiva. 

Awakening of the cosmic consciousness is the manifestation of Shiva – I am one and now I will multiply. Out of his consciousness, thousands of sun systems, stars and planets, visible and invisible elements are created. Shiva was, is and will be. Shiva means consciousness, pure and crystal clear. Shiva means the beauty and Shiva means the Truth. Shiva means the liberator. Shiva means moksha. Shiva is above the trinity. First is Shiva, the entire universe is a manifestation of his form, represented in the Shiva Lingam. Shiva is considered one of the most merciful Gods, with a little prayer he will be pleased and will fulfil all wishes. 

Once there was a hunter who went to hunt but didn’t find anything to hunt. It was time of the sunset and he was in the dark jungle far from home, surrounded by the dark and wildlife. To protect himself from the wild animals he climbed up a tree and sat between two tree branches to spend the night. So that sleep would not overcome him, he picked a leaf from the tree and dropped it to the ground and in order to remain awake and alert he continued to pick one leaf and drop it to the ground. Unknown to him, beneath the tree was a monument of Lord Shiva, the Lingam. 

At the time of the morning dawn, Lord Shiva appeared as he was so pleased that the whole night his devotee remained awake and adorned the Lingam with leaves of the tree. He asked ‘My son, what is your wish’. ‘Who are you asked the hunter?’ ‘I am here to bless you because you worshipped me with the leaves of the tree’ said Shiva. ‘I did not know. I am a sinner, a hunter, I kill poor animals, how can you bless me?’ Shiva replied, ‘That I don’t see, I only see that the entire night you were worshipping me and for that you will come to the universal consciousness of Lord Shiva’. 

Today everyone is worshipping Lord Shiva. Bhakti is devotion. Only that pure love can liberate you. Otherwise there is suffering and I prayer to merciful Lord Shiva to bless you with good health. Health is not everything but everything is nothing without health, therefore the first blessing is good health. 

Om Namah Shivaya! 

When you awake in the morning sing Om Namaha Shivaya five times and then drink your coffee. Sing the Mahamrityu Jaya mantra under the shower. When you leave your house, repeat this mantra loudly, mentally and in your own melody. This mantra is for victory over death and protection against bad things such as accidents, negative energy, negative society and unpleasant situations. The Mahamrityu Jaya mantra is one of the best mantras. 

The King of the death is called Yam Raja and for death it doesn’t matter how you die, if it’s in the fire, in the water, falling down, accident, illness – doesn’t matter. For death it doesn’t matter how much you suffer, the main thing is that you die. Therefore there is the Mahamrityu Jaya mantra to help protect you. 

In India the driver of every vehicle – the three wheel moped, rickshaw, truck, bus, train, aeroplane, private car or scooter – repeat this mantra prior to starting the engine. If not knowing the mantra they will greet the Shakti that is part of Shiva. It is called Gowri Shankara.Gowri is Parvati – she is part of Shiva. The left side of body is feminine, the right is masculine. So before starting the vehicle the drivers pray to shakti in the engine and repeat Mayamrityu Jaya mantra. It is not blind belief, it functions, it is there. It protects us from many things and this evening throughout the world there will be abhisheka of Lord Shiva. They will bathe Lord Shiva in a combination of milk, ghee, honey, yoghurt and turmeric. 

These are little things but very significant, like the Vedic marriage. Your parents will consult an astrologer who will view the planetary constellation of the bride and groom and say whether the two are compatible for marriage. When you marry according to this ritual and vedic ceremonies, you will have happy life and there will be no question of divorce, except in some individual cases. 

Marriage in modern times is called Love marriage, when a boy and girl fall in love and say now we shall get married! After five years maybe they go to council office to get divorced. Love means emotion, sometimes high waves, sometimes no waves. This kind of Love is only physical emotion and very soon it will diminish and when there is no understanding between the two, there is divorce. 

Twenty years ago, ten people travelled with me to India and one was a young woman approaching 30 years of age. We visited an Indian family and the Austrian lady spent time with the Indian ladies in the kitchen. One Indian lady asked the Austrian if she was married and she replied no. The Indian lady asked why she didn’t marry, and the Austrian replied ‘Well, I had a few friends and lived with them but didn’t marry’. The Indian lady was shocked, and said, ‘You lived with them!! So why didn’t you marry?’ The Austrian replied, ‘because I wasn’t sure if we would divorce.’ ‘You are still not married and yet you are thinking about divorce’ said the Indian, ‘You don’t show complete confidence to your husband’. 

Therefore the purpose of consulting the Vedic constellation for marriage is to ensure a happy, healthy and harmonious family life. 

You can spiritually develop even if you live a very hectic life. Repeat mantra. Doesn’t matter if the pronunciation is perfect or not, God knows what we feel in our heart. In the morning when you open your eyes, look to holy pictures or to a photo of your mother, father or child. That will give you the feeling of happiness the whole day. The first impression in your bedroom should be a picture of harmony with spiritual energy, not aggressive energy. Open your eyes and say Lord, my body mind senses thought consciousness and soul I offer to Thee. Guide me, protect my each and every step and thoughts. Lord thank you. Then stand up from the bed. Put your feet on the ground and say to the Earth, Mother Earth, forgive me that I step on you. Thank Mother Earth before stepping on her, it doesn’t take time. Protect me, I am in your lap. Go to wash your hands and thank the Lord for this clean water. Before eating, say thank you Lord for this food. Go to your car and repeat the Mahamrityu Jaya mantra. This is how you can maintain your spirituality in busy times without taking extra time out of your day. 

Additionally, when you work, work not for the sake of the money but work as seva as though you are serving others. Work with the attitude of I am not the doer, God is the doer, I am only an instrument. At the end of the day when you return home, be thankful to God. Before sleeping pray to God. The whole day Lord you were guiding me and the fruits of all my deeds I offer to Thee. I go to sleep and give into your hands my body mind senses and consciousness, protect me during my sleep. 

These kind of actions and prayers do not need extra time in your 24 hours. In this hectic and busy world where no one has time, this is how you can protect and develop your spirituality. Oh my dear friends, eating drinking sleeping and creating children, animals are also expert, you are human so what are you doing with your life? 

Daily consider these thoughts: I am a human. What makes me human? What are those qualities that make me human and how to develop these? What is the mission of my life? 

God gave you this human body, what is the aim of this life? Self Realisation is the aim of this life. There is enough chance for you to develop spiritually and you can do it. You are capable, you have great energy and power to do so. I wish you this and pray to Lord Shiva to bless you today for happy, healthy and long life.

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.