Transcript
[0:03] [bell]
[0:11] >> Take a moment to find your center.
[0:16] Again [snorts] and again and again.
[0:22] Center of your spine.
[0:27] Center of your breath.
[0:31] Center of your mind.
[0:42] We'll begin chanting Om together one
[0:44] time. Inhale deeply.
[0:50] >> [chanting]
[1:00] [chanting]
[1:14] >> After chanting Om, there's a space, a
[1:17] gap.
[1:19] So the key is rest in that space.
[1:28] We're always
[1:31] rushing for the next thing.
[1:34] And so the question is we have to be
[1:36] very clear. It's essential to be
[1:40] crystal clear on the goal.
[1:44] What is the goal? Where is the goal?
[1:46] Because the goal will determine the
[1:48] means. The goal will determine the path.
[1:51] The goal will determine the orientation.
[1:57] And so
[1:59] where is the goal of life?
[2:01] What is a tricky question,
[2:04] but we'll get there. But first, where
[2:06] Where is it? There are two options.
[2:08] Either goal of life is over there,
[2:10] somewhere else,
[2:14] or the goal of life is here now.
[2:20] And so,
[2:22] the approach in modern society is the
[2:25] goal can't be here. It's all It must be
[2:27] somewhere else.
[2:28] And we have to try try and and work very
[2:31] hard.
[2:32] And then we are always never So, you can
[2:34] never stop
[2:35] because the goal is over there. So, you
[2:37] have to get there somehow.
[2:39] And so, always going, never arriving.
[2:42] And here and now is not important
[2:44] because the goal is not here. The goal
[2:46] is over there. So, this is just a means
[2:48] for getting there.
[2:50] So, as a result, now I'm not paying
[2:51] attention here and now.
[2:55] Cuz the goal isn't here. The goal is
[2:57] somewhere else. It's over there.
[2:59] I'm on my way. I have to get there at
[3:02] all costs. And so, all day, every day,
[3:04] continually going, going, going,
[3:07] but never arriving.
[3:10] Because is it possible This is the
[3:12] question. Is it possible to arrive in a
[3:14] goal that's over there?
[3:22] No matter No matter what, you'll always
[3:24] be here and now. And so, if all I know
[3:27] is how to be over there,
[3:30] life is over there, happiness is over
[3:32] there, success is over there,
[3:34] then even if the thing comes,
[3:36] I'm going to miss it because I'm over
[3:38] there. I don't know how to be here.
[3:42] Here is not important. So, I've
[3:44] neglected here and now
[3:46] for the idea of then and there, for us
[3:49] some idea of success.
[3:51] But is Is idea of success success? Is
[3:55] the idea in my head, even if I achieve
[3:57] everything of the idea in my head, is it
[3:59] what I thought it was?
[4:01] >> [clears throat]
[4:02] >> This is also question. We have idea some
[4:04] goal.
[4:06] But is the idea in my mind
[4:09] actually that which it is? Does it
[4:11] match? Does it fit?
[4:14] And I think we find nine out of 10 it
[4:16] doesn't fit and this creates even more
[4:20] struggle, even more suffering cuz so
[4:21] much effort, so much energy expended, so
[4:25] much sacrifice to reach the goal,
[4:27] but the actual goal is not the goal what
[4:30] I thought it would be.
[4:38] And so if the goal is over there,
[4:41] somewhere else,
[4:43] in the future, in the past, something,
[4:45] then there's a certain approach we have
[4:47] to take. There's a certain rhythm.
[4:49] There's a certain
[4:51] intensity. If the goal is here and now,
[4:56] it has totally different totally
[4:58] different approach.
[5:03] And so first thing is even with what
[5:05] what is the goal? Not It's not clear.
[5:07] But where is the goal?
[5:13] If the goal is over there, who has
[5:15] reached the goal? Has anyone reached the
[5:16] goal?
[5:18] Very very very few, right? For sure.
[5:20] Less than less people than win the
[5:23] lottery.
[5:26] It means reach the goal means to feel
[5:28] successful. Many people are very
[5:30] successful, achieve many things, but the
[5:31] feeling is emptiness.
[5:34] Now, and to be successful in one
[5:36] endeavor,
[5:37] to be successful in business, but then
[5:39] the sacrifice your family, your health,
[5:41] all of this. So the
[5:43] the success success to reach the goal
[5:45] means
[5:47] not to feel, "Ah, it's enough." To feel
[5:49] this contentment, this sense of ease,
[5:51] like
[5:53] not this continual pressure of there's
[5:55] something more, something's missing, not
[5:57] enough, have to do this and fix this and
[5:59] go here and learn this and do that.
[6:00] Right?
[6:01] >> [snorts]
[6:01] >> So, how many people do you know who who
[6:03] have who have reached that state?
[6:07] And so, if the goal is over there,
[6:15] then we're in trouble.
[6:17] Because essentially nobody's nobody's
[6:20] reaching it.
[6:22] And so,
[6:24] either it's just super difficult, like
[6:26] impossible, or the goal is somewhere
[6:29] else.
[6:36] The goal is not some recognition from
[6:38] society or anything.
[6:41] The goal is in this present moment to be
[6:44] yourself.
[6:48] And you're living the goal.
[6:51] It's not something It's not like a
[6:54] moment-to-moment.
[6:58] And so, it becomes a way of life.
[7:00] And that feeling of wholeness
[7:03] it doesn't mean we're not growing and
[7:04] learning evolving. Every moment we're
[7:06] learning. Every moment evolving.
[7:10] But that's not what makes
[7:14] us whole. This.
[7:17] And so, this is a radical reversal
[7:21] if the goal is not over there, but the
[7:23] goal is here and now.
[7:25] And
[7:26] the goal of life is is is each moment,
[7:29] each interaction,
[7:31] >> [clears throat]
[7:31] >> each day, each
[7:35] scene.
[7:39] Then the approach would be very
[7:40] different. The approach is very
[7:42] different
[7:43] the way that we listen, the way we
[7:45] respect, the way that we
[7:48] breathe.
[7:52] It's the question of a sensitivity, a
[7:54] depth, a deeper sensitivity.
[7:58] And so,
[8:02] we have to consider
[8:04] very carefully
[8:08] these two are not in opposition.
[8:11] To be present
[8:13] will not preclude preclude you from
[8:15] achieving anything.
[8:17] In fact,
[8:19] when you're present, you'll be so much
[8:20] more efficient, so much more focused,
[8:23] so much more creative, so much more
[8:26] energized, for sure.
[8:29] So, nothing is lost.
[8:32] Presence is the foundation of life,
[8:36] meaningful life,
[8:40] fulfilled life.
[8:45] And so, this is why we recommend to
[8:48] dedicate a little time each day to
[8:50] train,
[8:51] to remember,
[8:55] so that your cells, your nervous system,
[8:59] your chemistry is in a state of
[9:01] presence.
[9:02] Now, it's not a It's not a mind game.
[9:04] It's not another mind game and like
[9:06] this. It's a
[9:07] It's a way of being. It's a way of life.
[9:14] And through a simple basic training,
[9:18] right, what we've what what has been
[9:19] established for thousands of years, all
[9:21] I'm I'm just
[9:23] a channel in this long lineage.
[9:27] But then,
[9:29] through the basic training, like if you
[9:30] were to train in basketball or tennis,
[9:34] or violin,
[9:36] or foreign language, but through
[9:38] repetitive focused training and
[9:41] practice,
[9:42] then you can become skillful at being
[9:46] present,
[9:49] being grounded,
[9:51] being stable, being focused,
[9:55] tapping into your intuition,
[9:58] to be in the flow,
[10:00] to be creative, to be in connection.
[10:03] Now, that we can train that, we can
[10:04] train it. We can train this state. And
[10:07] it's not a big mysterious thing, it's
[10:09] very simple.
[10:14] We never had that training
[10:16] in elementary school or middle school or
[10:19] anything.
[10:21] So, as a result, we
[10:24] As a result, this these things happen.
[10:28] And so, this is what we consider the
[10:30] essential life education, core life
[10:32] education. How to breathe, how to feel,
[10:37] how to be quiet, how to sit, how to
[10:39] move,
[10:41] how to listen, how to eat.
[10:46] It's not It's a
[10:47] foundation.
[10:48] Everything else comes on top of that.
[10:51] Relationship with myself, relationship
[10:53] with my family, with nature, my
[10:56] relationship with time, my relationship
[10:58] with work, my relationship with
[11:01] with nature.
[11:04] All this is coming on the foundation of
[11:06] presence.
[11:18] So, let's see. We have a pile of
[11:19] questions.
[11:23] I do my meditation every day,
[11:26] but why am I still angry?
[11:36] >> So,
[11:46] we're all born with certain tendencies.
[11:49] In this lifetime, we have different Each
[11:51] one we have a unique packet of
[11:53] tendencies and challenges and ways that
[11:56] we
[11:57] that we get in our own way.
[12:01] Um [clears throat] and these are lessons
[12:03] that are like pre-packaged lessons for
[12:05] us to learn. And we keep until we
[12:08] really, really deeply learn a lesson,
[12:10] then we're going to get triggered by
[12:11] everybody around us for and and it's
[12:13] going to
[12:15] force us to to explore those things. And
[12:18] so, if a certain theme is coming up, the
[12:20] anger Anger is a kind of energetic It's
[12:23] a lot of energy that's blocked.
[12:26] Right? And so, then it comes out in
[12:27] these different bursts. Different
[12:28] different causes for anger, also.
[12:31] Like attachment or desire, expectation,
[12:34] different things, you know, high high
[12:37] standards. If we have different
[12:38] [clears throat] different reasons, but
[12:40] in the end, the anger is still is the
[12:42] pure life energy that's trapped. And so,
[12:44] it's creating pressure.
[12:46] So, through the process filtering
[12:49] process, right? Of course, it's
[12:50] essential daily meditation, breathing,
[12:53] movement. Right? If not that, it maybe
[12:55] the anger would be more. Maybe it's
[12:57] growing. Maybe it's the whole fire
[12:58] spire.
[12:59] Right? So, the the practice is needed.
[13:02] Um but the the these specific knots,
[13:07] karmic knots that we that we have in our
[13:09] life are going to arise again and again
[13:12] and again until we really
[13:16] get to that essence of whatever that
[13:18] particular theme is, something.
[13:21] Or the other approach is to dissolve
[13:24] into pure consciousness.
[13:26] Right? Cuz there there's so many things
[13:27] we have to work out.
[13:29] All right, if we have to work out every
[13:30] problem that we have, every little
[13:32] thing, everything, we would take
[13:34] lifetimes just to deal with a little
[13:36] bit.
[13:37] >> [clears throat and snorts]
[13:38] >> And so this that's why this approach you
[13:40] say
[13:42] learn to dissolve your body mind back
[13:44] into that pure essence.
[13:46] Then
[13:48] the the
[13:50] the life will digest the same way life
[13:52] is digesting your food. When you eat
[13:54] food, who's digesting? The life is
[13:56] digesting it. You need a strong
[13:57] digestive fire. Otherwise, the food just
[14:00] stays undigested.
[14:03] In the same way, we have different life
[14:04] experience.
[14:06] So we need the strong inner fire in
[14:07] order to digest, to process, and to
[14:09] extract the energy. When you eat food,
[14:13] right? When you eat the food, most of
[14:16] the food is waste. Most of the food you
[14:19] eat is indigestible. You have to get rid
[14:21] of it.
[14:22] Only very little bit you're extracting
[14:24] this
[14:25] the power, the essence. In the same way,
[14:28] our life experience, our daily
[14:30] experience, most of the life experience
[14:32] is indigestible.
[14:33] You can't digest it. It has to You
[14:36] extract the essence and eliminate, get
[14:37] rid of the waste, get rid of the waste.
[14:39] The rest.
[14:41] Otherwise, it builds up indigestion,
[14:43] constipation, emotionally, mentally.
[14:47] And so it's it can't be digested.
[14:48] There's so many things in life that
[14:50] can't be digested.
[14:51] Indigestible.
[14:54] What to do? You have
[14:57] to eliminate the waste.
[15:00] And so this the practice of meditation,
[15:02] movement, breath, all of this is for
[15:04] cultivating that inner fire that will
[15:06] help to
[15:08] >> [clears throat]
[15:09] >> clean your body, heart, and mind. It's a
[15:10] big mess. We have a big mess. It's not
[15:12] just one day's mess, two days mess.
[15:15] All right, we have 30 30, 40 years, 50
[15:18] years, 100 years, thousands of years
[15:20] mess
[15:22] in our minds, thousands years mess in
[15:24] our hearts.
[15:27] >> [clears throat]
[15:30] >> But if it's just all a mess all the
[15:32] time, but you organize a little bit.
[15:36] You clean a little bit, you organize,
[15:37] start to put things in piles and sort
[15:40] things out. Then you feel more clarity,
[15:44] more peace, sense of ease. This is the
[15:46] sign the practice is working. Is in your
[15:49] daily life, you feel more sense of flow.
[15:54] You're surprisingly you're kinder to
[15:56] yourself, you're more patient with other
[15:58] people.
[15:59] You spontaneously see moments of beauty
[16:02] around you.
[16:04] Or feel to feel moments of gratitude
[16:06] with without any
[16:08] for no reason.
[16:10] This is a sign the practice is working.
[16:18] Question.
[16:20] Do you think you have reached your
[16:22] destiny fullest potential? Do you think
[16:25] you will do something else?
[16:28] Right, so I'm living it. I'm living it
[16:30] every day. I'm living my potential every
[16:32] day.
[16:34] I'm I'm I'm a 100%
[16:36] every moment.
[16:38] Showing up 100%. And if that means and
[16:40] sometimes showing up 100% is not showing
[16:42] up. So it's not it's I don't I don't
[16:44] there's no
[16:46] criteria with which to judge
[16:49] like the fullest or the best or
[16:51] anything. It's just
[16:53] in each moment showing up fully and then
[16:56] this moment will lead to the next
[16:57] moment. And so I trust that 100%. On my
[17:01] journey I've lived so many lives.
[17:03] I've had so many incredible
[17:06] like side quests or mini journeys within
[17:09] the journey.
[17:10] And so many more are left unfold.
[17:14] Um but I'm I'm not worried about it. I
[17:16] don't think about it at all because this
[17:18] moment is so immense.
[17:20] This moment is all consuming.
[17:23] If I'm If I'm like I'm playing a sport,
[17:25] when you're playing sports, if you're
[17:26] thinking about the next game
[17:29] or you're thinking about the last game,
[17:31] what happens? You get smacked in the
[17:33] head, you get lost.
[17:34] You have to play this game that you're
[17:36] playing now. And so the rest is
[17:38] digested. I trust fully. I know from my
[17:40] life up to this point what what what
[17:43] happens when I live this way, so I have
[17:45] no doubt
[17:47] that it will continue to evolve and
[17:49] unfold and blossom.
[17:52] And even the dying part will be a
[17:53] blossoming. So,
[17:55] much left to experience, explore. Um but
[17:59] this moment is already the fullest. This
[18:01] moment is 100% full.
[18:03] I don't [clears throat] feel like, oh,
[18:04] anything's I'm I'm
[18:06] something I wish this or that. I need
[18:08] something is missing, I have to fix
[18:09] something.
[18:12] Ev- every in in the imperfection that is
[18:15] in the perfect imperfection that is
[18:17] is completely full. The potential is
[18:20] completely full.
[18:24] And that's not just for me, it's for
[18:25] everyone. It's for everyone everything,
[18:27] not just humans, but also the the mango
[18:30] tree, the the fish, the salamander, the
[18:33] cricket
[18:34] is fully being itself,
[18:36] fully manifesting its fullest potential
[18:39] every moment.
[18:40] So, don't worry. It's not like, oh, what
[18:41] about me? Am I doing it or not? All of
[18:44] life It's This is This is the
[18:48] the rhythm of life.
[18:51] Question: Are we all meant to be here or
[18:53] did we simply decide to be here?
[19:00] Um
[19:02] No, I would say based on our lives we
[19:05] were where we were forced here. We were
[19:06] pushed, we were put here. This is the
[19:08] considered to be a kind of like a a
[19:11] place for purification. The Earth is a
[19:14] place to go and learn your lessons
[19:16] and to
[19:18] and to through relationship and
[19:20] challenge and struggle and all these
[19:22] things.
[19:23] And so now we're put here under certain
[19:24] conditions, certain parents, and certain
[19:26] tendencies, and certain
[19:28] country, everything.
[19:31] Um
[19:34] Yeah.
[19:39] Looking up and back in the skull causes
[19:41] terrible headaches. This should pass
[19:43] over time, but it's too painful to wait
[19:45] for that day. Any alternatives?
[19:47] Now just don't just don't
[19:50] force it. Just do it as even as an
[19:54] intention. Even no physical counterpart.
[19:57] There's just an intention.
[20:00] Because this
[20:03] through this process, right? We don't
[20:04] realize, but we're all the time
[20:06] manipulating the plates in the skull and
[20:08] then activating different parts of the
[20:10] brain, different thinking by it. Just
[20:12] quite
[20:13] slight pressure in the different
[20:15] different of these
[20:16] nerves and ten and and ligaments and
[20:19] everything.
[20:20] And so this normally our eyes are like
[20:25] shooting out and it's all the time
[20:27] spinning out and analyzing and
[20:29] interpreting and judging and everything.
[20:32] So when the eyes turn back in, then it
[20:36] activates the midbrain and the midbrain
[20:38] certain glands
[20:40] and it shifts the
[20:42] chemistry of the brain, but also the
[20:45] rhythm.
[20:47] And so
[20:48] no need to like yeah, don't force it and
[20:51] just like very slight with intention.
[21:01] And then you can do eye yoga. All right,
[21:03] that means the eye the nerves in the
[21:04] eyes are tight. So there's a whole
[21:06] science of eye yoga, all different eye
[21:09] like up, down, up, down, left, right,
[21:11] diagonal, [clears throat] circles,
[21:13] slowly, right? Slowly with your breath.
[21:16] You can loosen it. So good for the
[21:18] brain. Then candle gazing meditation.
[21:21] This is also very powerful. You light a
[21:22] candle about a half meter in front of
[21:24] you at eye level and you focus on the
[21:27] tip of the candle
[21:29] without blinking.
[21:31] You can use a timer at first like 3
[21:33] minutes on the timer, then 5 minutes on
[21:35] the timer.
[21:36] >> [snorts]
[21:36] >> The It's so healing for brain and
[21:38] nervous system.
[21:40] That deep focus on the tip of the flame,
[21:43] the very tip of the flame.
[21:48] Question.
[21:50] What are the benefits of presence of
[21:52] mind when [clears throat] you have been
[21:54] struck by tragedy or illness or you are
[21:56] very old and very frail?
[22:06] Yeah, presence of mind is like
[22:08] being blind or seeing. What's the use of
[22:11] seeing if there's a problem going on?
[22:13] No, this is to be It's to presence of
[22:16] mind is the It's the quality of to be
[22:18] connected.
[22:25] And in that connection, there's there's
[22:27] a depth, there's meaning.
[22:30] There's learning, there's there's
[22:32] service, there's sharing. It's the the
[22:36] presence The presence is the
[22:40] is the foundation of life. Otherwise,
[22:41] what? We're going through the motions in
[22:43] a mechanical robotic way. Hey, how are
[22:45] you? Nice, fine, thank you. Nice to see
[22:47] you. Like this. We're the The The other
[22:51] option is is like we go through life
[22:52] with blinders on. Like the horse with
[22:55] the thing we can't see anything, never
[22:57] looking around or anything. So, in that
[22:59] presence,
[23:01] then we we make many discoveries through
[23:03] the presence,
[23:05] then we we we can learn so many lessons
[23:07] and we can catch so many beautiful
[23:09] moments.
[23:11] At any at any point, cuz even when we're
[23:13] sick, a sick person is sick your
[23:15] identity is sick your whole life? Even
[23:17] within a moment even within a phase of
[23:19] sickness or phase of sadness, is every
[23:22] moment moment of sadness? Is there only
[23:24] room for sadness?
[23:26] But there's infinite space.
[23:29] And so through presence, then you can
[23:31] find the moments of inspiration, moments
[23:34] of beauty, moments of
[23:37] of laughter, moments of playfulness.
[23:40] And otherwise, we take everything so
[23:41] seriously. Everything is serious.
[23:44] And everything is a problem.
[23:48] So, the presence is the foundation.
[23:55] It's a It's the presence is a kind of
[23:57] choice. It's like
[23:59] either instead of rushing through life,
[24:03] right? It's a It's a choice to
[24:06] savor,
[24:08] to embrace
[24:11] life.
[24:12] And for sure, if life is what's
[24:15] happening right now,
[24:18] right? It's not our ideas about the
[24:19] future or ideas about the past. So, life
[24:22] is now and so
[24:25] the deeper we're able to connect with
[24:28] life here and now, the more
[24:30] the more meaningful, the more
[24:36] Yeah, more meaningful. Question: Did you
[24:38] have a moment which was particularly
[24:40] enlightening?
[24:42] >> [clears throat]
[24:42] >> I mean, kind of it's kind of every
[24:44] moment.
[24:47] I had when I was um
[24:49] 19 and I was initiated in the Kriya
[24:52] Kriya Yoga.
[24:54] Um and we were told to do these
[24:57] practices, you know, just to And
[24:59] when I was meditating my breath stopped
[25:01] and I shot up into these
[25:04] really blissful states.
[25:06] And so that first time I always remember
[25:08] it. And then there were some other
[25:09] really powerful times, but really it was
[25:11] it's kind of like everyday happening all
[25:13] the time.
[25:17] Being in the presence of enlightened
[25:18] sages.
[25:20] Right? It's like if you're studying high
[25:22] level of
[25:23] music or sports, when you're around a
[25:26] great sports player,
[25:28] that their energy lifts you up.
[25:32] Elevates you.
[25:34] In the same way when you're sitting in
[25:36] the presence of fully enlightened sage,
[25:38] why? It's
[25:39] so powerful that
[25:42] that um boost.
[25:44] And so I have spent, you know, many
[25:47] years
[25:49] sitting, living in the presence of these
[25:51] great sages.
[25:55] So many experiences.
[26:01] Question: Is the most peaceful
[26:02] experience just being with ourselves
[26:05] comfortably?
[26:07] Yes. It's not a peaceful experience. It
[26:10] is peace. It's not an experience. To be
[26:13] at home in yourself
[26:15] is
[26:16] the foundation of life. It's not an
[26:18] experience. Experience is like
[26:20] walking in the park and I see a rainbow
[26:23] and I hear water. That's a nice
[26:24] experience. To be yourself is not an
[26:27] experience.
[26:31] Okay, to to be yourself is peace. Peace
[26:34] is Peace is not an idea.
[26:38] Like oh, something nice. This peace is a
[26:40] vibration, a rhythm in your nervous
[26:43] system, in your breath.
[26:46] And so you embody that. It's
[26:48] But the the to be yourself is not an
[26:51] experience.
[26:54] It's a foundation.
[26:55] >> [clears throat]
[26:58] >> Comf- comfortably.
[27:02] Comfortable is the challenge. I would
[27:04] say stable.
[27:05] To be stable in yourself.
[27:08] Well, there's the two stable and ease.
[27:10] Those sthira in Sanskrit they call
[27:12] sthira and sukha.
[27:14] Means grounded, stable, and
[27:17] relaxed.
[27:18] And so,
[27:20] yes, to be comfortable in yourself. But
[27:23] what I've what I've seen now
[27:25] is that in a modern time we don't have
[27:28] this mode of relaxed. We don't have a
[27:30] mode of comfortable. The mode is
[27:31] stressed out or is zoned out.
[27:36] Right? And like lying on the beach, this
[27:37] is also zoned out. But relax- to be
[27:39] relaxed
[27:41] means is it's is it's a a contentment
[27:44] where we're not doing anything, not
[27:45] rushing, or And it's so it's so hard cuz
[27:48] of the rhythm now. And so, this is this
[27:51] is
[27:53] this state the state of peace is the
[27:55] highest state. There's no higher state.
[27:58] And so, you can experience that now
[28:01] in this in this moment today. You can
[28:03] taste that. You could taste it once. You
[28:05] could taste it several times.
[28:08] Right? Th- This is also the message
[28:12] when we think that the goal of life is
[28:14] over there, then we wouldn't dare to
[28:17] praise this moment. We wouldn't dare to
[28:20] dream that we are actually experiencing
[28:23] love.
[28:25] >> [clears throat]
[28:25] >> Or that we're actually experiencing a
[28:27] wisdom or peace.
[28:29] We doubt it so much more than anything.
[28:33] We doubt this moment.
[28:36] More than anything we doubt ourselves in
[28:38] this moment. We doubt the
[28:41] meaningful things.
[28:45] So,
[28:50] Yes, this is a true statement and this
[28:52] this is the path how to be completely
[28:57] grounded, stable
[29:00] at ease.
[29:08] But it doesn't mean you're always
[29:09] peaceful. To be yourself doesn't mean
[29:11] you're always like in nice peaceful
[29:13] quiet. No. To be yourself some people
[29:16] are wild. Some people are very loud.
[29:18] Some people are very No, this is this is
[29:20] the thing. It's not Okay, now everybody
[29:22] be the peaceful version of yourself and
[29:24] use your nice peaceful voice and say the
[29:26] peaceful words, something like that.
[29:28] Nothing to do with that.
[29:29] When you're authentically yourself then
[29:31] you'll show up each moment. Some moments
[29:32] you need to be angry.
[29:34] Some moments anger is needed. Some
[29:36] moments the
[29:37] laziness is needed. So everything has
[29:40] its place.
[29:42] But the question is is it authentic?
[29:46] Is it coming from authentic place? This
[29:47] is most important question.
[29:50] What's your biggest regret? Something
[29:53] you would have done differently.
[29:55] I don't I don't live that way. Again,
[29:57] I'm so so fully living each moment.
[30:00] Imagine I I I have some regret it's
[30:03] draining my energy. Why would I allow
[30:05] that? Why would I allow something to
[30:06] drain my my power
[30:09] from something in the past and
[30:10] everything happens everything is so
[30:12] interconnected. How can I change
[30:14] anything?
[30:16] If I'm if I'm living with this idea then
[30:19] it's going to
[30:21] negatively affect my momentum. So I
[30:23] don't ever consider that.
[30:26] I don't ever consider that. No.
[30:28] I'm still I'm I'm my focus is here and
[30:30] now and showing up and and from whatever
[30:35] came before, whatever those lessons I'm
[30:37] learning those lessons.
[30:39] But I don't I don't
[30:42] uh, subscribe to the regret situation.
[30:47] How to waste
[30:49] How to waste your life.
[30:53] How to waste your life.
[30:55] Is that correct?
[30:57] To waste your life.
[31:01] So, this is the question. Is this my
[31:04] life?
[31:05] This is this where you have to see
[31:07] because I say my life, the purpose of my
[31:09] life, something my life, but who is the
[31:13] me that's having a life?
[31:15] >> [snorts]
[31:15] >> Right, where can I where can I
[31:17] distinguish? Right, is there something
[31:19] separate from life?
[31:21] Right, and separate from life
[31:23] >> [cough]
[31:23] >> that's me [clears throat] that's having
[31:24] a life. This is the question. Is there a
[31:27] me? What does this me look like?
[31:29] How is this me and where is this me
[31:31] keeping this life?
[31:34] Right, is there a me that's having a
[31:36] life?
[31:37] My I can't I don't don't find it. What I
[31:40] see is that there's a life having a me.
[31:42] Life
[31:44] is having a peacock, it's having a
[31:46] river, it's having a sun, it's having a
[31:47] tulip, it's having a tree, it's having a
[31:50] me. Life is having a me, but I'm not
[31:52] having a life.
[31:54] This is important distinction.
[31:59] Because in this understanding
[32:02] >> [clears throat]
[32:03] >> then life is having a me
[32:05] temporarily.
[32:09] And so
[32:11] I am the purpose of life.
[32:14] It's not that my life has a purpose. I
[32:16] am the To be me, for the tulip to be a
[32:19] tulip, for the rose to be a rose, for
[32:21] the
[32:23] snake to be a snake, then that is life
[32:25] fulfilling its purpose.
[32:27] Life is fulfilling its purpose through
[32:29] me.
[32:29] But I don't have a life. There's no Who
[32:32] is this me?
[32:35] Who is this me that's having a life? And
[32:37] so
[32:39] to waste life, no, it's not possible cuz
[32:41] life will use you.
[32:43] We can't we life life is all of the all
[32:46] life is using life is not a
[32:49] life is dancing in everything and
[32:51] everyone. All the cells and molecules
[32:53] and atoms, all the fish and the the
[32:55] birds and everything is life.
[32:57] Life is the underlying force.
[33:01] The underlying intelligence, the
[33:02] underlying
[33:03] And so
[33:04] life
[33:06] every every everyone has their place.
[33:09] Even if we don't understand. So, in the
[33:12] end it's not possible to waste. However,
[33:14] we could say that if we use this human
[33:16] birth and we don't you know, do anything
[33:19] good and we don't learn and we're always
[33:20] selfish and we're always speaking
[33:23] negative words and we're making the
[33:25] people's life around us miserable,
[33:27] right? That would be unfortunate. I
[33:29] don't know I I don't think so. We
[33:31] couldn't call it a waste.
[33:33] Then you're you're playing you're
[33:34] playing your you're playing your part.
[33:37] Right? The but the in it would be a
[33:40] shame.
[33:45] Has anyone not managed to last the
[33:47] courses? I guess means this retreat.
[33:50] Why?
[33:51] Um
[33:53] very very very rare.
[33:56] There were many years ago
[33:58] where these two girls they were sure
[34:00] they were doing double worship. I don't
[34:02] know how they came to that conclusion.
[34:05] And so it was in the village. It was
[34:06] before and they all would they just
[34:08] they like the middle of the day they're
[34:09] just walking pulling their bags down the
[34:11] dirt road. There's like no tuk-tuks
[34:13] anywhere in the village. We're like,
[34:14] "Well, can we at least call you guys a
[34:15] tuk-tuk?"
[34:16] And they just said, "We're we're out of
[34:17] here."
[34:18] So, that happened once.
[34:20] Now, I mean some people have had like
[34:21] family emergencies they have to leave.
[34:24] But this isn't like a Vipassana. It's
[34:25] not like you're locked in here and you
[34:27] have to meditate 10 hours a day and you
[34:28] can't eat food and stuff like that. This
[34:30] is so us, it's not
[34:32] it's not that kind of
[34:34] situation. Usually we're able to find
[34:36] some kind of
[34:39] something that works.
[34:42] How best to keep the retreat
[34:45] with us after it's over? Yeah. So that's
[34:48] that's the key. That's the essence of
[34:50] what we're talking about. It's It's how
[34:52] to integrate
[34:55] this
[34:56] connection
[34:58] connectedness, aliveness
[35:00] in tuneness in your daily life. And
[35:02] that's through the daily practice.
[35:05] All right. Every day brush your teeth,
[35:06] take a shower, wash your clothes, and
[35:10] clean your body, heart, and mind.
[35:12] Movement, breath, stillness, vibration.
[35:14] All right. We recommend to set up to
[35:16] make a
[35:18] um
[35:19] commitment to yourself. We call this
[35:21] 100-days challenge.
[35:23] All right. So from the time you go, 100
[35:25] days, every day you do your practice.
[35:28] Same practice.
[35:30] Ideally, same time of day, same place
[35:33] because this creates a groove.
[35:35] Otherwise, all over the place.
[35:37] All right. So it's important to have a
[35:38] fixed practice.
[35:41] All right.
[35:42] Something you know you can do. So even
[35:43] [clears throat] if it's 10 minutes.
[35:46] Our recommendation is 30 minutes, 2%.
[35:49] All right. And then fixed practice means
[35:53] which postures in which order, then
[35:56] breathing, meditation, how long.
[35:59] All right. And you just do that. You can
[36:00] always do more. All right. It's not like
[36:02] you can only do that. Of course, you can
[36:03] always do more, but this is the core.
[36:07] And you do it for 100 days. Then for
[36:09] sure you will discover if there's a
[36:11] benefit or not. If there's any
[36:13] improvement in your sleep, in your
[36:16] your flow, your rhythm, your way of
[36:17] life.
[36:19] And so it's this this daily practice is
[36:23] needed. It's part of the training.
[36:25] It's part of a warming up. It's part of
[36:28] a tuning. A sports player has to warm up
[36:30] before they play. If you don't warm up,
[36:33] right, then you are it's like a
[36:36] poor form. It's like lack of integrity.
[36:38] How can it's then you're you're not
[36:41] going to be able to play well for your
[36:42] team. You could injure yourself, right?
[36:45] That would be silly to be playing sports
[36:47] at a high level, even to play sports at
[36:49] a amateur level.
[36:52] If you don't warm up,
[36:55] then it's not correct.
[36:58] So, what about for daily life to be
[37:00] myself?
[37:03] Right, if you play music and you don't
[37:04] warm up also, that's not correct. You
[37:06] have to tune. You have to warm up.
[37:10] Then you're going to play better,
[37:13] sound better, but you also enjoy it
[37:15] more.
[37:18] And so, if you're enjoying life,
[37:21] No, if you're if you're if you're able
[37:23] to show up, then maybe it's not needed,
[37:25] the training. However, if that's not the
[37:27] case, then this could really work.
[37:30] It works in sports. It works for music.
[37:32] So, imagine for our daily life.
[37:41] What to do when something in you resist
[37:43] the practice? You want to do it in
[37:45] theory, but in practice somehow you
[37:47] simply cannot. A mental block. Yeah,
[37:50] this is to be expected. We should expect
[37:52] that this will happen. That's why we
[37:54] need to put in place
[37:56] fixed practice, fixed time, like that.
[37:59] 100 days, boom. There's no question. Cuz
[38:02] there's will always be a resistance. The
[38:04] mind is so sneaky.
[38:06] Right? And so,
[38:08] we know if I know it's good for me, then
[38:10] you say, "Okay, I'm going to do it." The
[38:12] first couple days you might need to drag
[38:13] yourself to your mat, literally. But you
[38:15] know, first posture is this one, so you
[38:17] just show up and you start. If it's the
[38:19] spinal sequence, then Then then it's hip
[38:21] circles. So, you just start. even you
[38:22] don't feel like it
[38:24] like that, but you just go
[38:26] boom.
[38:27] All your best hit. Then okay, you know
[38:29] already the next one. So, you start
[38:30] doing it. And before you know it, you
[38:32] get carried away. You get in the
[38:33] momentum in the stream. And then it's
[38:35] done. You forget. And then the next day
[38:36] you do it again. And so, it it's
[38:39] if if it's left up to what you feel like
[38:43] like oh, maybe I should do some yoga
[38:44] today. What do I feel like? Maybe this,
[38:46] maybe that. When should I go? I'll do it
[38:48] maybe later or something. Impossible.
[38:51] But it has to be again fixed exact
[38:53] exactly. I do these postures. Each
[38:55] posture I do for 1 minute. Use the
[38:58] timer. Put 1 minute on your timer. This
[38:59] will keep you accountable.
[39:01] This keeps the momentum.
[39:03] Then breathing. Okay, two breathing.
[39:05] Breath of fire 1 minute.
[39:10] And beep.
[39:15] Next one, alternate nostril. Like that.
[39:17] Gradually you can increase the time.
[39:20] And then meditation meditation. Okay,
[39:22] put the timer 10 minutes. Sit still.
[39:27] Having a fixed plan is essential.
[39:29] Otherwise, it's impossible to When
[39:31] you're playing sports, the drills. You
[39:33] have fixed drills that you're doing.
[39:34] Fixed drills and exercise. Playing the
[39:36] scales. All of this.
[39:38] Cuz you have to master the foundation.
[39:40] And so, it's the same.
[39:42] Right? It's not about
[39:44] being really awesome at the yoga. It's
[39:47] through the yoga you become really
[39:49] awesome at being yourself. You see the
[39:51] difference? It's a huge difference.
[39:54] Right? Most people are practicing yoga
[39:56] to be good at yoga. To prove something.
[39:59] Look, I can do yoga.
[40:01] Right? But to practice yoga to be
[40:03] yourself.
[40:06] To be grounded in yourself. To be
[40:07] present. You see, it's
[40:10] completely different.
[40:14] A different intention. Different
[40:16] different
[40:17] Cuz the goal is completely different.
[40:22] Question.
[40:24] Have you been to Rishikesh? What is it
[40:26] like? No, I have not been to Rishikesh.
[40:30] I'm mostly in the south of India.
[40:33] >> [clears throat]
[40:33] >> Um
[40:35] There are some incredible places
[40:37] um in India where you can go and
[40:41] practice and learn.
[40:43] Um
[40:46] But most important is not to fantasize
[40:49] about oh in India this and that.
[40:52] It has to be here and now, in your daily
[40:54] life.
[40:56] Right? Cuz when you're grounded and
[40:58] connected, then you're in Rishikesh. You
[41:00] know what I mean? To be present. When
[41:03] you're present, you're that that is the
[41:06] the goal. And so you don't need to go
[41:07] anywhere for that.
[41:09] Really, mostly we're running around is
[41:11] like a
[41:13] a What do you call not distraction? A
[41:17] a
[41:23] Like avoiding. It's a it's What we need
[41:25] is is just in your life, wherever you
[41:28] are, in your home,
[41:29] clean your body, heart, and mind.
[41:31] >> [cough and clears throat]
[41:35] >> How best to be courageous when that
[41:37] courage may hurt people you love?
[41:46] >> [snorts]
[41:55] [snorts]
[41:59] >> No matter what, it's important to be
[42:01] standing your power,
[42:03] standing your truth. We can't sacrifice,
[42:06] we can't compromise our truth for
[42:07] anyone.
[42:10] Right? If we're compromising our truth,
[42:12] then in the end it's going to hurt the
[42:14] others because we're going to be living
[42:16] a lie, and inauthentic, and resentful,
[42:18] and all these things. So, anyway, we
[42:21] have to be a stand we have to
[42:24] to learn to stand in your truth, be
[42:26] grounded in your power,
[42:28] and cultivate that the quiet power, the
[42:32] inner wisdom, inner beauty. Right, when
[42:34] we're holding the yoga posture, and it's
[42:36] uncomfortable,
[42:38] right, what's happening is then we feel
[42:40] like, "Oh, it's uncomfortable. I don't
[42:41] know
[42:42] but instead of reacting, I just stay
[42:45] present, and so that kind of resistance
[42:49] now starts to become like a power. So,
[42:51] I'm training the willpower, sharpening
[42:54] my willpower. It's not so much about the
[42:56] body, but it's about the harnessing the
[42:59] power, and
[43:02] and
[43:04] grounding in your power.
[43:07] And so,
[43:12] hurting people,
[43:19] we can't take responsibility for
[43:20] everyone's emotions and reactions and
[43:23] everything.
[43:24] Now, if you're
[43:27] in your truth,
[43:30] and being sincere and authentic, then in
[43:33] the end that will it will be for the
[43:35] best.
[43:37] Now, to hide yourself or to lie in order
[43:40] to make other people feel good, right,
[43:42] might work in the short term, probably
[43:44] not, but in the long term,
[43:47] um it's not going to work anyway. And
[43:50] so, to be that's a kind of love to stand
[43:53] in your power and be be truthful,
[43:55] authentic, and real is
[43:57] this is this is real love.
[44:00] It's not lying to protect people that
[44:02] you love this love or something like
[44:04] this. And so, this is the journey. This
[44:06] is the how to how to be. This is the
[44:10] That's life. Life is where we're tested
[44:12] and that's why
[44:14] in these tests it's best to to be in
[44:16] shape. That's why we take if you're
[44:18] going to go out to to battle,
[44:21] then you better be trained. You better
[44:22] be prepared. And so every day we get so
[44:25] many opportunities.
[44:26] If we don't have that foundation,
[44:29] then it's very difficult to show up.
[44:32] When we have the foundation, then this
[44:34] is exactly this is this is the journey
[44:35] of life. Is this this
[44:38] is this discovery.
[44:41] Ah, what is the purpose of life?
[44:45] So like I said, that
[44:47] you are the purpose of life.
[44:54] But it's not about like you being the
[44:56] best this or that or the most of this or
[44:59] that or anything. No, it's simply you
[45:01] being yourself.
[45:08] Actually, it's not you being yourself.
[45:09] It's life being yourself. No, life is
[45:12] being you.
[45:14] Cuz otherwise then I think, oh, I have
[45:15] to be myself. What should I do? I could
[45:18] do this or I could do that. Which one
[45:19] should I do? And then I have the
[45:21] question, am I being myself or not being
[45:22] myself? No, but when life is being
[45:25] yourself, then it's 100% all the time.
[45:27] There's no question.
[45:29] >> [clears throat]
[45:29] >> Life is 100% being you.
[45:32] In the
[45:34] womb, in the in the fetus, everything,
[45:37] already life is 100% being you.
[45:39] In [snorts] the moment of birth, life is
[45:41] 100% being being you.
[45:43] And then at every moment after also. So,
[45:49] purpose of life, you have to live it.
[45:52] The purpose you're living your purpose
[45:54] each moment.
[45:57] But if you're sitting on the sidelines
[45:58] waiting for something in the future,
[46:00] right, then you're missing it. You're
[46:01] missing your purpose. Right,
[46:03] my purpose.
[46:05] is this one thing and I've got to find
[46:07] it and I spend my whole life trying to
[46:08] find my purpose, you're missing your
[46:10] purpose is unfolding this moment.
[46:13] Each and every moment your purpose.
[46:15] Each interaction.
[46:17] Each
[46:18] Each Each moment is a purpose of life.
[46:21] It's not like
[46:23] like every now and then the purpose pops
[46:25] up once, you know, once in a blue moon.
[46:27] Oh, look, it's my purpose over there
[46:29] something. The purpose is here now.
[46:32] You're swimming in it. You're swimming
[46:34] You're You're living your purpose. Don't
[46:36] put it off.
[46:40] Last question is it about karma or law
[46:42] of action?
[46:50] Yeah.
[46:53] We can never understand even my own body
[46:55] in this moment. Right, this I call this
[46:58] myself. Right, if there's anything
[46:59] that's myself, this one I pointed this
[47:01] my body.
[47:03] Do I know what's going on in my arm
[47:05] right now?
[47:07] Like what at all?
[47:11] Nothing. No I've no idea.
[47:14] I know some abstracting maybe there's a
[47:15] bone here, some blood is here
[47:18] everything. But what the blood is doing,
[47:20] what the cells are doing, what's
[47:21] actually happening, what's actually
[47:23] literally really happening in my body in
[47:25] this moment, I don't know. I will never
[47:27] know. Even if I studied my whole life,
[47:30] it would still just be abstract
[47:31] information.
[47:33] So this thing which I call my myself is
[47:35] a complete mystery.
[47:37] Complete mystery.
[47:39] And
[47:41] this is I call this my body, but
[47:45] all so many cells, so many bacteria, so
[47:49] many things happen It's a whole universe
[47:52] that I'm completely unaware of.
[47:56] And so there's an infinite web of
[47:59] interrelated
[48:01] phenomena [clears throat]
[48:04] that we can't see,
[48:06] that we can't know.
[48:11] And there's certain things programmed
[48:13] into that, programmed into your
[48:15] chemistry.
[48:16] Uh at the time of birth, the karma gets
[48:19] programmed, this gets programmed into
[48:21] your glands and your chemistry, certain
[48:23] likes and dislikes, certain habits and
[48:25] tendencies.
[48:28] And it gets triggered by life events.
[48:30] But some people misunderstanding that
[48:33] karma is bad.
[48:35] Karma is we have to avoid all karma is
[48:37] bad. No, karma is the path of
[48:44] coming home into yourself. Your the
[48:47] whatever this this the situation,
[48:50] struggles,
[48:51] tendencies, it's not that that's wrong,
[48:54] something's wrong, that's a problem,
[48:55] that's bad, I have to, you know,
[48:58] >> [clears throat]
[48:59] >> but that is showing you the path. That
[49:02] is showing you the the way. That way has
[49:05] been specifically designed for you and
[49:08] you only in this lifetime.
[49:11] And so when you embrace the karma, it
[49:13] becomes the dharma.
[49:15] When you embrace,
[49:18] right, this this
[49:20] the lessons,
[49:24] then it becomes
[49:26] your power, it becomes your wisdom.
[49:31] And so we shouldn't run away from life,
[49:34] shouldn't run away from our karma. This
[49:35] is
[49:37] um not correct.
[49:41] But in order to face it, we need power.
[49:44] That's why you need to do practice.
[49:46] You need to stay in shape, right? If you
[49:47] want to play a sport and you're out of
[49:49] shape,
[49:50] then it becomes like a torture.
[49:53] Right? So now you want to you want to
[49:55] show up in this daily life and learn
[49:58] your lessons, meet your challenges,
[50:00] maybe do some good things and helps help
[50:02] people,
[50:03] and be creative and connect with nature.
[50:06] You need power. Where do you get that
[50:08] power? No, it's through the practice.
[50:10] Not just eating food and watching TV and
[50:13] stuff. Through the moment restlessness,
[50:16] you cultivate that power.
[50:21] >> [clears throat]
[50:28] >> But I want to stress that the goal is
[50:31] here now. You can be present here and
[50:33] now, today. There's no you don't even
[50:36] It's not like you have to do this and
[50:38] fix this and learn that and and change
[50:40] this and etc. Nothing at all.
[50:44] You can [laughter] you can have a
[50:45] glimpse, you can taste
[50:51] that state of peace,
[50:53] that state of love.
[51:02] And so don't underestimate the potential
[51:05] of
[51:06] >> [snorts]
[51:07] >> now.
[51:10] Don't underestimate that now is
[51:13] life-changing moment.
[51:24] Take a moment to come back to center,
[51:26] sit up tall, close your eyes.
[51:33] Find your breath.
[51:36] The wheel is spinning, right? The wheel
[51:39] is spinning, but the center of the wheel
[51:41] is not moving.
[51:43] So your mind is spinning.
[51:46] Find the center. a center point.
[51:53] We'll close chanting Om together one
[51:55] time. Inhale [clears throat] deeply.
[52:00] Om.
