BOY Visited by 2500 Yr Old Saint MAHAVATAR BABAJI; Given His SOUL MISSION! with Paramahamsa Vishwananda

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 0:00
Without turning behind resist finger, he pointed behind him. I said, Do you see the light? I said no, I don't see any light. So he bent down, look in my eyes and say, Look properly, I still remember his eyes very sharp and look properly. So second time when I look. Amazingly, there was a ball of light, like the sun. Bright and with a disk of light around it, like a halo of light. I don't know how long that have lost. And the voice, I heard a voice. When I was looking at it, and said that's you.

Alex Ferrari 0:56
I'd like to welcome to the show Paramahamsa Vishwananda did I get it close?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:03
Yes.

Alex Ferrari 1:05
Yes, thank you so much. Guruji thank you so much for coming on the show. I have, I've wanted to have a conversation with you ever since I saw you. And and your the work that you're doing in the world and helping awaken the planet is just such a inspiration to me in the work that I do. So first and foremost, I just want to say thank you so much for being here. And thank you for what you do.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:25
Thank you Alex.

Alex Ferrari 1:28
So I wanted to take you back at the beginning. How did you begin this spiritual journey because I, I always tell people that, you know, yogi's and masters and people who are on the spiritual path at a, let's say, a more advanced stage. They don't show up that way. They have to go through some stuff to get enlightened. You know, Jesus didn't show up fully formed. Yogananda didn't show up fully formed, they have to go through trials. So I'd love to hear from you. How this started for you.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:57
Actually, you see, my journey is a bit different from them. At the same time, it's similar. But what is residing inside the spiritual soul? It's always in a waiting state. You know, when, for Jesus, for example, you're taking an example, you know, he waited 30 years to start his mission for Yogananda, also, but this doesn't mean that that realization is not there. So for what Dharma you have come into this world, and when would that manifest itself? It's always the right time. So a little bit about, for me, my spiritual journey has started. Why I say it's a bit different, because I didn't need to wait so long. I didn't need to wait 30 years, God was merciful on me. And for me, since I was very small, I think a certain degree of realization was there. But like, every, you know, kids, you just take it normal, because if you grow up in a Hindu family, spirituality is part of your life also. Religious at that point it either the Hindu religion is part of your life, because God is not excluded. If you know the Hindu tradition, everything for us, we include God into it. So I grew up in a family which believe not particularly that the practice practitioners now but they believe in God, my grandma will worship every day, morning and evening. So that is a little background, where I come from, and but my mom will say differently. When I was taught to crawl, they will always find me in the temple, because every houses have a small temple, they will always find me in the temple. And as I grew up, they will always see me either nearby to our place over the Church of St. Anna, or the Temple of Kali, the mother goddess. The so that was the places where I spent my childhood. So I was normal. I was playing normal with everybody. But there's many instant many things which was a bit different from other people. Like I was when I was small, I was inspired all the kids of the surrounding to do the fire ceremony. So we will be It's not that I knew about what we were chanting or anything at all, whatever mantra we know that while we were chanting, so all the children will gather around just make a fire. And put, we didn't even have ghee at that time, we use oil, cooking oil. So that's why we do Swaha onomah Shiva, I'm Krishna Sua. So whatever mantra we knew we would do, and if anything is what the neighbor saw us, heaven would carry or their kids also were there. And one day he said, Okay, we built a small place for you, if you can do your yagna you haven't, they are in his back in his garden, here built a small cottage with iron sheath. And there we will be doing and the funny thing is when the fire will be from down to the roof of the cottage. That's how it was very exciting. So, this was my my my play actually. Now, I will not say this, my spiritual journey is taught by but it was something which was already inborn insight. It was not something outside was something which is inside because to do that, now, I believe that it's not only in one life, see, it is countless of life, you know, and you just carry on. And that was when I was very small. That how we play when everybody was playing hide and seek we will play when we watch Ramayana, when we hear the story of Ramayana. We will enact with my cousin with the kids in the surrounding the neighbors. We will play our minor that was how it was but something happened that was Yeah, I was very small. Probably you have heard about you know where my master came to me.

Alex Ferrari 7:12
Is that Baba Ji?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 7:14
Yes, but at that time, I didn't know it was Baba Ji. At that time, I was thinking well, like my mom will say it was an uncle. It was just an uncle. So you have heard I'm sure everybody have heard the story of how it is but if you want

Alex Ferrari 7:32
So I've actually never heard the story. I wanted to save I wanted to save it for I wanted to save myself enjoyment of you telling it to me for the first time. I am aware of Baba Ji. And for everybody who, let's tell you the story. First of how you met Baba Ji afterwards, maybe we'll do a small explanation of who he is for people who are not familiar with him.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 7:55
Yeah. So my story how I will not say I met him because he's the master had come to the decision to the devotees, you know? So he came to me. So, you know, in Mauritius where I was born, and grew up, someone that was five years old, around there was a tree of poisonous tree like every tropical place. And that seed of that of the tree is very poisonous. So one day I sat down and I was eating, I ate so much of the seeds, because what I remember it tastes like peanuts. So I ate a lot of it. And I fainted. And I stopped forming. So the kids, like I said, we used to you see where I grew up, all the kids used to play together. Bill rush quickly to my mom and my dad, and they said what happened? He had been eating the seeds and that my dad rushed me quickly to the hospital. Find a client rushed into the hospital and there the doctor have done what they have to do that all the cleanser, they clean and the wash their stomach. And I'm here so they were successful. And one day there was this young man with long hair standing out, it was standing outside the children ward. And looking at older kids and older kids was attracted to him and he was giving sweets to all of them. So I went to him and asked him Why are you here? Which is a bit strange question now for five years old to ask a grown up Why are you here? And I remember the I asked him this question even now when I think about it. I asked myself, Why did I ask him this question. When I asked him to go Why are you here and He looked at me and said, I came for all the children that especially for you, but didn't make any sense to me. So he hold my hand and he put one rupee and one sweet. I was so happy to see the one rupee because you see, when you're small at that time, one rupee is 100 cents zero, you remember the time we used to use cents, and with one cent you can get one biscuit and one sweet little sweets. So I was thinking it's a lot of money. Sure, so I was very happy to see that there was a my attention was on that rupee. Then he asked me, Do you know who you are? A better question to ask for a small child, you know, doesn't mean anything. I didn't answer him because it didn't mean anything to me. So without turning behind him was his finger. He pointed behind him. I said, Do you see the light? This time I was looking at look behind him. Which slide is he talking the hill, the hill, the small hill, I was looking on the Hill look around and cannot see any light. And that's a no, I don't see any light. So he bent down, look in my eyes and say, Look properly. I still remember his eyes very sharp and look properly. So second time when I look. Amazingly, there was a ball of light, like the sun bright, and with a disk of light around it. Like a halo of light. I don't know how long that have lost. And the voice heard the voice while I was looking at it as if that's you. So how long did that last? I don't know. But when I came back to myself, This fellow said I have to go now your mama and Auntie's coming. You just lift his hand in blessing just disappeared.

Alex Ferrari 12:26
Like those dissolved dissolve into nothing

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 12:30
It just disappeared who just was not there.

Alex Ferrari 12:33
It's just gone

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 12:35
He just take his hand and then it was just gone. I was very excited to tell when I eventually my mom and my auntie came. I was very excited to tell them the story. And of course the see they just faded his kids story, that maybe I found it and that's it. This is what I remember the encounter with Mahathir Balaji. Now I know it is him. But at that time, I didn't know who he was. So like that many times he came to me in different aspects.

Alex Ferrari 13:27
So for everybody listening, can you please tell everybody who Maha Baba Ji is in a short as a short little explanation if you can

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 13:37
Okay, so Mahaftar Baba Ji, we have you can you have probably heard about in Autobiography of a Yogi, you know, who described his great master and which is still alive in the Himalayas. Actually, yes, Mahaftar Baba Ji is that great master and that great yogi? itself that who have been the guru of many great saints, many great sages who have have his darshan and he's still around, then I'm very often I encountered this question because I bet he's still around why we don't see him. There but to see him. Firstly, we have to cleanse ourself now our mind have to be different state. We are just to see a great yogi, a great saints a sage just for our curiosity. That does not work. So that Master is also the same, you know, he's with everybody. However, call for him. He there with them. But to perceive him to feed him to get to know about him. We have to build a certain relationship. same the same thing with God. You see, God is present everywhere, why some people have the grace of having a Darshan which means to have seen him and some others who believe also but have never seen the like that Mahathir Baba Ji is also presents, though. Luckily, he came to me when I was very young. And he came in so many times. Actually, he came to me. But like I said, I didn't know who he was, when I came to Europe first time, and everybody was talking about you know, because this is my story I know about it. And then they said, Oh, you know, there is this great yogi. Mata Robert, when they showed me the picture of martyr, Baba Ji from Uganda. And his book actually said, I guess this was the same person looked exactly, not exactly but similar to the person which came to me when I was five years old. And other time he was there. So that was in the year 2000.

Alex Ferrari 16:18
So what, what are some of the other encounters that you've had with Baba Ji has it? How has it evolved?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 16:24
How is it evolved or what I remember, for sure, many have come to me in many ways, which I don't remember but what I remember was few months later like I said, my mum went when I showed the coin and the sweet my mum said it's an uncle who have given you so Okey, dokey in Mauritius. You see, we treat everybody as Uncle and Auntie, this is our respect. Okay, fine. It's an uncle. So few few months later, or maybe a year later or something like that. Can't really remember how was the by the dentists? And my mother was not good. And the dentist needed to extract it. So my mom was there in tight because I was I didn't want no so the dentist put his finger and to put the injection so he was checking when he was checking my tooth I beat his finger and I will not let go. I will not let go and my mom got really angry at us have the release his finger? No. And of course she gave me good snap and then me out. This was saying please don't be angry with him if you don't want right now. Next time, you know if you can do it, I went outside crying my mum need to pay for the dentists. So when I went outside that uncle was there standing. And he said to me, you'll be naughty. I said yes. I'd be the finger because you want the dentist to remove the tooth. And then my mom came just drag me. I was crying as a mom look, this is the same uncle when she turned though nobody there. And of course, she got even more upset. So, this is an encounter then many encounter like this. But like I said he was always there.

Alex Ferrari 18:55
He popped in and he popped out.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 18:57
Yes, he come and he goes.

Alex Ferrari 19:02
It's such a beautiful story of how you encountered Baba Ji, obviously, when did you it seems that you've always known at a very instinctual soul level what your mission is in this life. And then as you evolve as a child, these ideas started to

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 19:22
Yes, evolve you see many things was different. Now, like I said enough from little itself, there was this pull towards spirituality but which I did do what I knew at that time. So at the age of 14, something change and some some from one day to the other that it happened in it was April I think 1992. So one day to the The you know my life changed completely because before that I was living a normal kid's life you know playing watching TV cartoon and everything was but there was always this spiritual heavy whenever I will go to school I will make a must to stop by the temple to look at the statue of Lord Shiva and I will go so when I come back you know also the same thing that was always there than inside of me. And yeah, at the age of 14 You know something a few days before what I will tell you later on there was a picture of a saint but we have you know, Sai Baba of Shirdi and you see at home like I said to you, we were my parents believe but they were not religious and they said okay, you don't need to put the picture of God's everywhere you know that okay fine, you can have on the in the cupboard once those great so don't have cloth anything here you can put whoever you want inside it and lock it that was it, I will be doing my smoke by my prayer at that time. You know, I would like the incense and I will offer some sweets or chocolate or some raisins, whatever, there is a little bit of water to do to all the gods which are inside, you know, Krishna Shiva. And every, everybody was inside. And there was also a small corner where that was allowed. Where do we had that statue of Buddha and Lakshmi and I think he was Krishna also. So that was allowed in the small corner outside. So the one which was inside where the picture first picture of Sai Baba of Shirdi. The old man and so every night I will do incense before going to bed. One day, as I was sleeping was two o'clock in the morning, I wake up with a there was something a light was emanating from inside. So in my head, I said, I didn't say I said a big word. I said it's birdies. I said, my goodness. Now my mom move and the cupboard burning. I was thinking my mum will get super angry. And we'll go through afterwards that jump out of the bed, Rush quickly to the to the cupboard, the open because it was locked. Open it briefly. And to my amazement, when I open it. It was like a cool brief and it was not burning. Is just that around that St. There was a speck like small.of Light was emanating, but very bright. And I was

Alex Ferrari 23:25
No, no, I wanted to ask you something because it's something I mean, I've been studying the lineage of Yogananda and Baba Ji and autobiography yogi. And I've loved going down the Vedic philosophies in the yogic philosophies all my life and I always love asking questions about you know, the gurus journey, the yogi's journey, the Masters journeys, and there are these miracles that are always around certain saints, certain Yogi's and the very famous ones obviously, levitation or bio location like Baba Ji does very, very, very well obviously, among other things and manifestation instantly these kinds of things, your experience in this world have you experienced anything like that from other gurus?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 24:20
Come later on, that started with was this part of of has a, I will say you see, I will not call it miracle Firstly, I will call it visiting cards or grace. Okay, then, because this is the grace of God, when you have to do when he calls somebody who make everything possible. So when this happened, and I was so amazing, it's all wild. Nice. So then I close it and when it finished Then I went to sleep again, the next day when I woke up with what I thought it was a dream as a how a wonderful dream I had. But there was something different from that now. So, that morning, when I woke up, have a different kind of mentality was completely different. So something has changed inside. So I went to school. And it was in high school at the time, you know, college, sorry. So I went to college and I was normal. Everything was fine. And I came back home, I saw my mom sitting and crying. I said, What happened to you? Why are you crying? I thought somebody died, you know, because she was in very big tears. And so I went straight, no, nobody died, but go inside. The I went inside the room, everywhere. There was a manifestation of ash. And it was manning so strongly, and I and wonderful perfume. And my mom said, Ah, you put it, I said, Oh, I didn't put anything, I didn't do anything. I said you clean everything, there was little bit only, like picked on the like, like, if you look at it, you will think that it is mold only. So my mom said no clean. Though we clean everything, she helped me we clean everything nicely, she was calm and spared in spite of cleaning everything nicely. So few hours later, it was much more so, before you could see the picture, now you could not see at all the picture it was completely covered with that Ash. And it will hold on the on the on the glass, you know they will not everywhere with ash, even on the small corner tablet, but I was saying there was full with ash. And she became crazy and start crying, you know, history commit. Because nobody could understand. You know, it's not that there was somebody to tell you if this is happening because of something nobody was there to tell you. Anything. So this was my attorney. And she was crying and this manifestation happened and in not only in my room, in her room in the living room everywhere. No, this ash coming from the ceiling, from the wall from wherever there No. So then we kept quiet. We told that my auntie and we kept quiet for three days was quiet down, but we're getting more and more and more and more. And coming and did it Ash was coming more and more. And there's Covid, okay? So my mom was there was a neighbor of old lady she was sick. My mom said, Okay, listen, there's something happening. But please don't say to anybody. When you say that to somebody, it's more faster than anything. So she said please come maybe you that can help you. So she came my mum gave some of the ash and she drank it and she was fine. And she went around and tell it to everybody. A few days later, when I came back there was a queue of people now went to school and I went to to college, came back there was a queue of people want to go in my room and in the house to see this manifestation then my mom was sitting there crying poo, you know, I So, this is how everything started. And of course then when it came I said sit down and meditate. So we sat down one night and meditate and and when I sat down and sit in meditation, I went into a deep meditation which now we did we call it Samadhi. You know, I didn't know at that time. I went into that state. And I didn't come out for free days. And in that journey, I visited many places. Many say as many other mentioned whatever for three days. But shocking thing is that the body was still warm. So it's not then the Again, they were crying and all this sort of when I came back was completely different person.

Alex Ferrari 30:11
So that's the beginning of your journey. That is That was the beginning.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 30:14
Well, that was the beginning of everything that was the beginning of that journey itself.

Alex Ferrari 30:21
Guru Ji. I mean, we could spend hours just talking about what you saw in those three days. I'm sure

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 30:28
You haven't. Normally, I have never said it to anybody.

Alex Ferrari 30:32
It's personal. It's personal. Gotcha. So, one thing I wanted to ask you, from a Western Westerners point of view, the idea of a guru of a master and a student, or that kind of that kind of relationship is something that's very generational. In your culture, it's something that is very common. If someone is looking for a guru what, what or if a guru presents themselves better, better question. What should someone be looking for in a Guru?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 31:11
Firstly, firstly, we have to remove all the idea of what we think the guru have to be. Because you see in the mind, western mind, because Western philosophy say, oh, it have to be like this, like this, like this, they have a cardboard, where it's all written on a piece of paper by the Guru have to be like to say the Guru is there, to remove, to break and to challenge all these things? Yeah. So you put that in, in in consideration, you think that I or the guru must have a long beard? White hair? Yeah. I have encountered that many times, many people have said to me, you know, I have heard about you. But when I didn't know, you know, when I see you you don't I expect that the guru have to have a long white beard and a long white hair, and dress in a certain way. And maybe you don't before I was wearing also normal clothes like everybody else, you know, they had you and imagine you like this. And many of the of the of the devotees have made me being also just to dress normal. The mine of people are shock theater, in the end, but I expect the guru to be like this like this. But the Guru is not buying by the idea of how it has to be this is traditional, of course, you see in the of course, if you're in India, everybody has a have an image of the Guru have to be, according to tradition in the hair like this, know that the Guru is free. We can't understand with the mind, the guru, what we can do, we can project our own limitation upon the guru that what we do our own rubbish we throw we project it upon the guru. And I say yes, that is not But Guru out there to challenge that mind itself. Because if you are so attached to your ideas of how guru have to be, you will never grow. And of course, many people like to have a traditional guru like who will always say yes, yes, yes to them. Say as long as the gurus say yes, yes, yes to you, and you like very much the talk of the guru, and you like very much how the guru present itself. But that is not a guru. Now, in place of removing the darkness from your mind, it will increase the darkness inside of you. And this is how when the gurus present himself when the guru came, you have to have firstly the longing for the guru inside of you. You have to have that, yes, I want a master. And then you pray to God, God, I want a Master, please send me my master. And when my master come when your master will come to you, it will come in many ways. And it's not the way but you expect you know. And when you listen to all the devotees, now when they have made the master, not only our devotee, but any gurus devotee, they will tell you how their own journey towards the master was it's amazing actually. And it is beautiful because you see how you imagine the guru have to be you will not be like that at all. And it's up to you whether you want to re to let the guru raise you to a higher standard or you want Want to sit in the same state? And say yes, I want a guru or whatever.

Alex Ferrari 35:08
Yes, if I remember correctly, Yogananda is Guru Yokteshwa was not what he expected. Exactly, exactly, but and he any child any challenge them a lot, a lot, yes for many, many years.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 35:21
That is the master, you know, that is the role of a master to challenge. If a master doesn't challenge you, you will not grow that's the point to grow up you have to grow you have to become myself. Otherwise, you will have easy peasy you know, like, like, like so called spiritual journey, no, you will never grow.

Alex Ferrari 35:56
Is it the job of the guru to shine a light on the path for you to walk for you to understand who you truly are?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 36:07
That is the role of the Guru, the Guru have to do anything possible for from his side, to bring you to where you have to be. And it is not an easy job at had you.

Alex Ferrari 36:22
It's not always pleasant.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 36:24
Not always pleasant, because you see, because people they are full in their own ideas. They always look toward the outside and the Guru's say no, no, no, it's not about looking on the outside is to look inside. But the journey from outside to inside. It's not an easy journey. For both for the guru and for the disciple. Because the guru have to be very strict and the guru have to be has a to break that barrier. Because the more you do like to look and keep looking on the outside, keep looking. When you look on the outside, use what you see your own judgment, you project your own judgment upon the outside, and you judge the outside according to that. But once you start the spiritual journey, you start to look at yourself. You don't look at others anymore. You look at yourself. And this is the beginning of spirituality in your life when you start to look at yourself. Firstly, for once you look at yourself who you are. You're not looking at the idea of other people. No. And this is the role of the gurus to make you look at yourself face to face your own reality. When you start facing your own reality. You transform yourself you grow and this is what know many people don't want to look at themselves.

Alex Ferrari 38:11
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Most people do not want to look at themselves, but Guruji it's so much easier to judge others, Than to look at yourself, sir.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 38:56
It's easy, because you see that you use the word judge, you know, everybody's born judge. Now I was given a son I was telling you see to become a judge. You have to study many years to be able to judge. But very often you encounter people which is complete judgment. They are the one who knows everything. You know. They're the one who and nobody knew, you know, let me judge you.

Alex Ferrari 39:26
Guru Ji, let me ask you, why is it so difficult for people to look inward? Because it's scary. People are afraid of looking in the mirror. People are afraid of digging inside of themselves. Are they afraid of what they're going to find and what they're going to have to deal with? Why is it?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 39:47
You see Alex. You see when you look at on the outside, you keep projecting your own negativity. You know, you keep rejecting your own ideas upon. So you build that idea and this negativity into a big mountain like that. You don't need to face your little negativity which you hold inside of you. You see what you have, if you have already project that negativity onto the outside, and this appeared like a huge mountain, your negativity is nothing though. What what do you do you feel good with your own negativity by making everybody else negative, by the world is bad, everybody else is bad. Everybody else is negative. So you project your own negativity upon. So you can't Don't you don't look at your own negativity that you have to change. So to look at your own negativity is not wrong. This is how you have to change. But people don't like to because people think they are perfect.

Alex Ferrari 40:58
Their egos do their egos think their perfect.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 41:00
They think they are perfect. They think that yes, I know better than everybody else. And I have to be the Savior of mankind, I have to be the savior of everybody. No, and this is what how people see them. You know, they see themselves as Savior when they have not saved themselves how you will save somebody else. I always say first everything, start with yourself, you know, to love God, you have to start loving the creation of God. You can't love God without loving his creation. And this creation first fatti have created view. The eye everything has come up secondary. Much of what we do very, very, we stopped loving everybody else. We love everybody. You know you hear you also very spiritual people, they will tell you yes. We love everybody. Which is not true. But when you come to you, you ask them do you love yourself to the unknown, but that is a big problem. That's what God wants you firstly, to start loving yourself. Firstly, Jesus said, It is what Jesus said, love yourself, love thy enemy as you love thyself. But he said it. First you have to love yourself. And when we look at our life itself, we don't love anybody else. Actually, we do love ourself. For example, recently Covid what they are now what we were all doing. We were all putting a mask. Why did we put a mask to protect somebody else? No, everybody was wearing the mask to protect themself. Because your life mattered for you. But if you don't realize that now that spirituality first is get to know who you are. Because you see, we know ourselves we know the external self, we know the mind self, we know the intellectual self, you know. But more than that, these are limited, this will stay here. But in the absence of the art mind, the absence of the soul. These things don't have any power. So get to know that to give the power to the body, get the power to the senses give the power to the mind to think give the power to the intellect. So if we pierce that with we see our own reality.

Alex Ferrari 43:50
Now do where do you first see the global consciousness going because I've seen a shift, even in the last 50 years as like, as long as I've been alive, things are very different consciously than they were 10 years ago, 20 years ago. So there's, there seems to be a growing consciousness I'd love to hear your point of view of where we are right now and where we're going.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 44:14
Look especially with social media with more awareness of we have to see it also in that way, you know, this open, because everybody have that question inside of them. Why are we here at all? Everybody have this question, but why am I here? What is life about you know, is life is just to enjoy party eating, drinking. And then what is that life only? Life is not just that. So there is more and more people asking the question life is not just about eating too. Working and enjoying, there is more to life. And people want to know what it is. And we see, like you said, that shift itself when I, when I came to Europe, for example 25 years ago, I saw that all advert from that time. And now, as a big shift happening, when I travel the world traveling everywhere, we can see, but there is this yearning to know more about spirituality. There are days this people are searching, you know, it can't just be what religion is giving is one thing, but yet, they don't find what they are really searching for. So, there is a certain transformation and change happening and more and more it is happening. But at the same time, we see also the counterbalance of that ills in the world, you see, as spirituality is also growing, people are searching for it. Also, you see, people are also dragging themselves more and more known out of fear. prefactor which which which, which is very predominant is the desire for more when more and more envy, but others have and fear in itself. This is free things to stop people of progressing and searching. Let's see.

Alex Ferrari 46:44
How do we get over the fear? So many of us walk, walk around life through fear.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 46:51
Desire, firstly, this is a cause of everything. Even Krishna, in the Bhagavad Gita, he said, you know, the cause of misery, firstly, is a desire, we desire things, you know, which is we don't even know whether these things will be good for us or not. But yet, we desire. And then when we get it, we have fear to lose it. And we always look, we want more and more, up what we got, is never enough. And I was telling a story today, actually, I had online notion, I was telling a story of a man was crying. And he was saying, oh, Guruji you know, I love a girl. And But that girl have married somebody else. And tired was my life, you know? I don't know how to live anymore. laughing because when I say to him, before you knew that golf, were you living or not? You were living. So how come you lose that aspect which you were living? Just because you depend on that person. So you have given your life into the hands of somebody else. So how would you be free? How would you live your life? And you don't know, to see what is happening now? Where would that bring you? Because of what we believe that everything happened for a reason. If you didn't have somebody now, it is good reason. I was telling him a tamer story about somebody visiting a mental hospital. And as he was passing by, he saw a man sitting and pulling his hair, crying very bitterly holding a picture. And the man asked the doctor there, you know, what's wrong with that person? He said, He's crying because he didn't get the person he's in love with. So he's crying. And the people have put him into the mental hospital to avoid that he commits suicide. And as he walked a little bit further, another man was crying, holding also another picture. And this and this person was saying, Why have I marry you? And then he asked, Well, what about this one? Is it better don't ask this one have married the same girl with the other one is crying for and since the day he got married with that, girl, he's in that state. So which one should you pity? Now at Sometimes something happened to in your life see, to bring you where you have to be. But what we want to do it, we want to understand everything, we want to scrutinize everything, every corner and try to understand it with our why this is like this way, it's not like that, but we become miserable. Because you see why our mind gets so attached to the external reality, that in place of turning our gaze into something higher, and make ourselves better, you know, that contribute something wonderful to the world. No, we become more miserable and more unhappy. And then and that unhappiness, we can't keep it for ourself what we have to do that project this unhappiness to over on everybody else. That what I said you make your miserable, which is that is small. Until you make your project you're miserable and make it huge onto the outside. So that your misery can appear a little and then you can feel happy about it. I have nothing great about it. But that is not spiritual growth. So you see, there is this counterbalance in both in one way is the spirituality is growing, there is more awareness. Madalina another way, spiritually is not an easy path. As he is not like, Okay, I will just sit there and sit and meditate. That's it. No. Only you know that what people think you know very much when we talk about rich idea. Remember I was talking with somebody said, I'm doing spiritual practice. What kind of practice are you doing? That? I sit and meditate? And I said, okay, okay, if you sit and meditate, it's good. You know, Indian is important meditation, it's very important that no, I don't meditate on God, I don't meditate for spiritual reason, I muted because I want to feel good. I feel relaxed when I meditate. But this is not about relaxation. This is a thing you see. That's why you see, when we are talking about spiritual matter, that the we have to have a really deep understanding of spirituality. Though and then you will have experiences where you don't know when you have a deep understanding of spirituality, then you just you start to view your life, but often in your life, many things were there spiritually, which we have not taken consideration about.

Alex Ferrari 53:01
Let me ask you, are there any spiritual practices that are ancient that could help us in our modern day world in balancing the materialistic world that we have to walk and also be spiritual at the same time

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 53:14
The material world is not the bad things you see, it is I never said that it is when if you have material things it is a bad thing. No, it is not a spiritual it helps you to understand that way your mind have to be focused upon what is your ultimate goal about. So there is many practices like for example, Mahathir Baba Ji asked me to teach Kriya in 2000 and sorry 2011 He asked me to teach Kriya out and not because I see that you see, okay, people like the technique of Korea, they like to have yes I'm doing something man I'm just doing some Korea technique you know, and because it's fancy. This is not about that, you know, I asked to have done Why would you please forgive me, but I will not teach then 2015 I said okay. After traveling and have seen people how they see spirituality into especially in the West, you know, and said, Okay, fine, I will teach prayer. And but I did have to have something different. It has to have aspect of devotion into it. Here again, devotion is not just to be on your needle in your knees, and pray now. Devotion means everything that you do. is with a remembrance of God. That was kriya also stand for, you know, to have that awareness of the divine in each action Kriya Yoga that what it mean? The word Kriya Yoga means to have that divine awareness at each moment of your life, no matter what you're doing. So as as Martha Roger Please bless that. But the nine aspect of devotion can be infused into the nine aspects of technique of Kriya. Somehow the Baba Ji at that moment, bless me and said okay, fine, you spread the Kriya and the Nana aspect of devotion will be blessed into that. So this is where atma kriya started now. So it is a very ancient technique actually, which we practice.

Alex Ferrari 56:02
Now I love we talk a lot about spirituality. You and I, both in our in our ways in our show, I show him in your in your work. But I always like to combine it with science, and the relationship between science and spirituality because there is so much I think he could only move in a greater way into science, understanding spirituality more, because a lot of the things that they're discovering in quantum physics are not been talked about in the Vedic texts for 1000s. of years.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 56:34
It's not separate

Alex Ferrari 56:37
Yes, exactly. So where do you see the relationship evolving to in the future?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 56:41
You see, there is more and more scientists researching upon what is written in the Veda, now where the sage have compiled, Veda Vyas have compiled about, you know, and what had been written in the Vedas are in the Puranas itself, you know, and more and more we see, that people are starting to do to figure it out, but what was written 1000s of years ago, now, scientists will start to discover it. Of course, they didn't use the same word as scientists use nowadays. But it was always there. Now, for example, when Krishna talk about in the Gita, he said that everything is eternal, now, you are eternal, talking about the atma is eternal, but you also say that this world itself is eternal, that matter is eternal. So, then, you start to think about Yes, but how is it possible then for one Krishna explain in the Gita that these three things which is electron neutron proton, that what form matter and that is here, everything is graded by that it changed forms to take different aspects, but it is eternal it's like a tree it is in a form of a tree when cut down you can make furnitures about it you can make chair table you can make wardrobe about each one will use accordingly. But when it is finished, you can burn it it become heat it become ash menu, but he stayed into it and that science have discovered but it is you know in turn but we talked about electron proton neutron but he's always already spoken 5000 years ago and many many many many things also Dizzy we can see that scientists are very much somebody was asking me a few days ago actually about reincarnation for example, that our way science is one thing that scientists are researching constantly have that because there are so many instance but people remember their their assay their previous life so that is also of course science is still far away from digging into the mystery of of life itself.

Alex Ferrari 59:39
What is your take on near death experiences that have been happening forever, but they really started to come up.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 59:49
Yes. Now people are talking about it.

Alex Ferrari 59:51
Now everyone, everyone has a near death experience now and that's probably all

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 59:55
I did'nt have it. I know many people actually I do, I do, meet people who have had near death experience.

Alex Ferrari 1:00:07
I'd love to hear your point of view on it.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:00:08
Well look, the journey of the aftermath, you know, when, let's say it's not ready, it's not yet time for for the athma to live fully, of course, the athma can travel well, because when you have a near death experience, you enter into a state where you are traveling. Yeah, I will not call it Samadhi. But it is a similar state of Samadhi state where you are traveling, but very often, you will see that people have similar incident like a tunnel, and they see the light afterwards, you know, and many people relate to that understanding, you know, because it's also the culture kick in into that, for example, somebody which is a Hindu will have a different experience of a near death experience for them, they will see the deity in front of them, they will see how they gods in front of them, you know, different different things, and somebody else will have a near death experience will see a tunnel and a light because you see that what you have been taught in your culture. But it's a journey towards heavens in all you see a dark tunnel, then a new, but this is also played into the subconscious into also happening. But I have met many people who have experienced this state of consciousness also. So for me personally, the see the athma, when it have not yet finished with his journey, he can go and have a peep into the next when you turn, you see while you're reading something wonderful, sometimes you have to, you want to peep into what is the next page about. So like that, you see. But then when you go there and have a glimpse of what is there, when you come back? You're completely different, different.

Alex Ferrari 1:02:13
Completely different.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:02:15
Because then you have an experience of Yes, life is not finished. Life carries on.

Alex Ferrari 1:02:25
The greatest question that most people have is what happens after we pass what happens?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:02:31
Mystery about it.

Alex Ferrari 1:02:35
But there's a lot of there's a lot even in, in the Vedas, and in most cultures, this has been talked about for 1000s of years.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:02:43
Yes, see that when you look at the Veda you look at Quran as you look at even life of saints who did not who have experienced it, you know, the talk about it. But there is life after death, you know, isn't continuation.

Alex Ferrari 1:03:04
You mentioned Samadhi somebody a few times in our conversations can you explain to people what Samadhi is?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:03:09
Samadhi is a state into the spiritually when you evolve yourself, you know, you enter into that blissful state. So, for me personally, now, it's not just as a yogic state, most of the time is a yogic state, which the people who perform yoga or different kinds of yoga they go into, you know, but for me personally, because I'm also very much turned towards the devotional point. For me, I would call it the everlasting, blissful state, where each part of you reflect that bliss. I'm not talking about love, I'm talking about bliss, because bliss is even higher than love itself.

Alex Ferrari 1:04:08
When you say that bliss is higher than love, because it by I've had a practice of meditation now for about seven years. And it is. I've had many things happen to me during my meditations. One of them is this blissful state. When you walk out, you just come back. I don't travel anywhere, but I come back and I'm walking on air. And even my children when they would walk up to me, they like, look at me differently. They're like Daddy, oh, you just meditated and it kind of wears off.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:04:41
It's different you see? Yes, love. Either first date of it, you know, and love deep growing. The combination of love is bliss. So we experience different state of love with Because as love girl has received, we use the word love. And that love have many states in it, you know. And as it grows, the end of it is that bliss. And once you have entered to the blissful state, you can't lose it. It don't dissipate, it is always with you. And everything that you do is infused with that bliss also,

Alex Ferrari 1:05:26
When you get to, but during the meditations that I've been talking to you about, is it kind of like I'm getting a taste of it?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:05:31
You have a taste of it, yes, you have a taste of it, but it's not it's not afford now. I know one person who have enter fully into that state. And funny thing is that when he's into when he at the beginning, when he had that, first time this state, he could the world could not didn't even exist for him. He could go through with his physical body for the wall. Interested there were no limit. In when you're in a blissful state, there is no limit. And of course,

Alex Ferrari 1:06:10
Is that a form of enlightenment?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:06:15
Yes, blissful state is enlightenment.

Alex Ferrari 1:06:19
Okay, you were gonna say go ahead, continue, please.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:06:21
Now many saint is a they live into that state? And are they absorbed into that state of of supreme love inside of them? And very often, they disguise it, they cover it. They don't show it. Because when you're in that state, there's no need to show.

Alex Ferrari 1:06:46
You don't need to show off anymore. Right?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:06:48
Because very often people are, you see, I was giving a satsang. I was saying, you know, very often people, when they have a little bit of understanding of spirituality, they think they have already attained enlightenment. Yeah. And then they go around, yes, I have to give you have to be your teacher, I have to give you diksha I have to guide you and all these things, you know. But it's not like that.

Alex Ferrari 1:07:19
Now, Guru Ji, I'm going to ask you a few questions I asked all of my guests. What is your definition of living a fulfilled life?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:07:26
You see, for me personally, to live a fulfilled life is to do what you have come here to do. Which is, firstly, realize yourself. Now you have come in this world. And life is a wonderful gift. In all, this is the most precious gift God has given you realize the preciousness of that. And once you have realized that your life will be full fulfill.

Alex Ferrari 1:08:05
If you had a chance to go back in time and speak to a little Guru Ji, what advice would you give him?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:08:13
Actually, what will I tell little Guruji carry on. Don't change anything. Because very often when people look at back in their life, they will think, Oh, if I could have done this better, or have good done that better, no. Carry on. Because that journey, what we call life is such a wonderful journey. And it's such a unique journey actually. And you are unique, you know, you have to realize that you know realize your uniqueness. You know, there's no second person like you in the whole universe. There's no two person like you. And that is the most wonderful thing to realize, you know, enjoy every moment of that.

Alex Ferrari 1:09:12
How do you define God?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:09:15
For me, God is we can say love. God is his creation. God is that what we can't describe, you know, I know many people want to describe him like this and like that. No, he's beyond description. Even if we put a certain description to her to to him, even when I'm seeing him at all. I'm limited, but as word I don't find any other word to put in. Here that supreme bliss and he is put in his creation now.

Alex Ferrari 1:10:00
What is love?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:10:03
Love. This is one thing which I always ask everybody. What is love? You know, it's quite difficult to just say a terminology directly Love is like this, I can say love is God. Why do I say love it's called, because that love what I felt inside. It's a love what keep growing everyday. And it's a love that it is immense. There is no limit to it. It is a it is something that beyond the understanding, and that what love is, you know, is something that keeps growing. It is the ultimate. There's nothing higher than that. Now

Alex Ferrari 1:10:59
What does World Peace look like to you?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:11:02
World Peace is a state of mind of each single person to attain and are we can't raise a flag and say, Peace, peace, peace when we don't become peaceful ourself. If we want peace in the world, it start with each one of us to become peaceful with ourselves with our surrounding. Because we see, we can say, yes, we want the world to be peace, you know. But if we don't contribute into that peace, ourself, there will never be peace. If it is just one person, and that person could be you, who always want for peace outside, but you are not peaceful yourself inside. There is no peace. But when you are peaceful inside of you, there will be peace in the world.

Alex Ferrari 1:11:55
And what is the ultimate purpose of life?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:11:59
Realize yourself and get to know who God is?

Alex Ferrari 1:12:07
And where can people find out more about you and the amazing work that you're doing in the world?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:12:11
If people want to know about me, they can go on bhaktimarga.org?

Alex Ferrari 1:12:18
I'll make sure to put the link in the description. And finally, sir, what is as a parting message what is the most important message that mankind needs to hear from you today?

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:12:30
What I would like everybody, what I would like to say to everyone is to be yourself. Like I was saying that uniqueness of who you are, is the beauty of who you are. And you can contribute in your own way to the beauty of this world itself. But firstly, learn to accept yourself and see your own inner beauty and outer beauty also. That is what I will tell

Alex Ferrari 1:13:09
Guru Ji, it has been a honor and pleasure speaking to you today, my friend. I appreciate you not only being on the show, but for everything that you're doing to awaken this planet today. So I appreciate you with all my heart my friend. Thank you.

Paramahamsa Vishwananda 1:13:22
Thank you, Alex.