Welcome to the site of a hermit
from the Moravian Karst in the Czech Republic

Indian-Czech Friendship Project

Yoga in Daily Life

Vishvaguru Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, a Nirguna monk

Mountain and forest yoga, mysticism, and philosophy
of a yoga and Hindu hermit monk

Swami Gyaneshwarpuri

from the Czech Republic

Like Love and Enlightenment coming from the meditation caves and mountain hermitages of the Indian Himalayas, Assisi, the Romanian Carpathians, Slovak Paradise, the Giant Mountains, and especially the Moravian Karst.

Himalayan Tranquillity, Solitude, and Cosmic Mirth in the Heart of Europe

"Those who followed the path of wisdom never built monasteries, never lectured, never published books, and never had disciples, but in spite of this they had amazing power over other people's minds. Those who contemplate in a Himalayan cave and work to cleanse themselves also cleanse the world and help the world with their spiritual vibrations. No one can prevent their pure thoughts from going out into the world and reaching those who really need them." (Swami Sivananda from Rishikesh)

"Some yogis withdraw from society into solitude and live as hermits away from civilization. But even those meditate for the good of the world. Their mere existence is a blessing to the world." (Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Sri Swami Maheshwarananda)

To know Brahman, you must acquire faith in the words of the scriptures and in your guru. Let yourself be devoted to Brahman. Meditate on it constantly. Not by deeds, not by offspring, not by wealth, but by devotion to Him and by detachment from the world, does one attain immortality. The supreme heaven shines in the lotus of your heart. That is where those who seek it enter. They have understood the nature of the holy scriptures and are renouncing the world. Withdraw into solitude. Sit in a clean place and assume an upright posture with your head and neck in a straight line. Be indifferent to the world. Keep your senses under control. Bow down to your guru with devotion. Then enter into the lotus of the heart and meditate on Brahman, the pure bliss. (Upanishads)

Is this your first time here?

Visit the website and browse through the articles to find the one that inspires and interests you the most. It also contains a few thoughts about me and my Master, Maheshwarananda. Feel free to visit the photo gallery of my many years in the Moravian Karst and my ordination as a yoga and Hindu monk. Be inspired by fragments of my thoughts, a kind of spiritual haiku. Some of my poems are also published here. I provide free counselling for mental health issues. Do not exploit this website! It is protected by the Laws of the Universe and is subject to my copyright. I would be grateful for any contribution to my alms bowl, or you could consider sponsoring me, a monk without possessions. There is also an English and Hindi summary at the end. Please contact me in any matter. I live in seclusion, so I accept no personal visits. Please contact me by e-mail only. Don't send TV crews or journalists after me. Thank you for respecting my anonymity, monastic privacy, and independence of my spirit. I guide no one personally and teach nothing. For I am not a recognized Master. I am just a hermit. Upon request, I will pray to the Supreme Principle, let us call it God, or the Eternal Divine Consciousness of my spiritual Master, a Nirguna monk. You shouldn't expect any miracles or an instant, miraculous resolution to your karmic circumstances. Read my book The Hermit's Journey, which contains my most important and valuable spiritual experience from my mystical life. I am working on a sequel entitled The Hermit's Handbook. I would like to thank the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area Administration for allowing me to live in this environmentally valuable and precious area and tolerating my hermit-like existence in the solitude of the caves. I am not planning to go to India at the moment. I will live my whole life in hermitages and ashrams here in the Czech Republic for the greater good of my fellow citizens. As a monk following the Franciscan path, I have no worldly ambitions or aspirations. I repeat that I, as a jnani, do not teach spiritual paths or yoga. The bhakti yogis and karma yogis of Yoga in Daily Life are there for that purpose. Be very wary of strange, self-proclaimed "masters" who have no proper connection to a real, living Master through the disciple-master relationship. The relationship between Master and disciple is an eternal sacred principle throughout the Universe. Even Jesus had a Master before whom he bowed down with all his heart, John the Baptist. However, it must, of course, be an Enlightened Soul, united with God, because otherwise the liberation from ego, or spiritual ego, is a very painful and difficult process. Please do not ask me for guidance on your spiritual journey. There is my living Enlightened Master Maheshwarananda, who is currently residing in seclusion at the Jadan Ashram in India, or his recognized successor and heir to our spiritual lineage, Swami Avatar Puri, who regularly visits the Czech Republic and over whom the special Cosmic forces of God of our parampara of avatars and paramhansas surely watch over. I would also like to encourage you to learn to deal with your difficulties and problems independently, in the quiet solitude of your room or a regular hermitage. Build an altar in your hermitage to worship God and listen to the silent background of your thoughts as you pray. Someone in heaven will surely hear your prayers, mantra repetition, and meditation, taking you under their wing and guiding you. Most importantly, become vegetarians for good and don't take your difficulties too seriously, because everything passes, including all the torment and suffering that comes from ill-considered contact with the worldly objects of your desire. Everything has its meaning and nothing can be omitted. Be 100% independent and self-sufficient. Listen to the silence of your conscience. This is called realizing the Divine Connection of Atma Gyan. You don't have to travel to the Himalayas at all. All I need is to achieve enlightenment in the hills, forests, hermitages, and meditation caves of this blessed Czech Republic in the heart of Europe.

New Articles:

Initiation.

My knowledge is not mine in Reality. It is the Knowledge of my Universal Master Vishvaguru Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, who has been guiding me through this life since my birth. His are all of my visions. But the teachings of Maheshwarananda are the teachings of Avatar Mahaprabhuji and the other saints of India, the Vedas and the Upanishads.

Lord, may you protect and cherish us both
Master and disciple
May we both receive strength from you,
May our journey lead us to the ultimate knowledge.
Protect us that we may not be separated
but remain united forever.
Om peace, peace, peace. 

My spiritual master, His Holiness Vishvaguru Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda.

My spiritual master, His Holiness Vishvaguru Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, was born on 15 August 1945, in the village of Rupawas, Pali district, Rajasthan, India. Since he was a young boy, he spent most of his time in prayer and meditation. As a teenager, he was initiated as a swami by his guru, Hindu Dharmsamrat Paramhans Sri Swami Madhavanandaji, with whom he stayed for several years in the ashram, where he performed rigorous anushtana – spiritual practice. He came to Europe in 1970. There, he recognized the needs of modern people, which inspired him to combine the ancient teachings of yoga and the discoveries of modern science with his rich experience. This is how he created a scientific and internationally recognized system of exercises called System of Yoga in Daily Life, which spread from Europe to the whole world. This system brings well-being to humanity and all living creatures and has become an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of people. Over the last 50 years, Vishvaguru Maheshwarananda has been travelling extensively all over the world, tirelessly spreading the message of Sat Sanatan Dharma and yoga according to the teachings of Bhagwan Sri Dip Narayan Mahaprabhuji. Wherever he goes, he teaches people to understand and love themselves and others, helping them to know and realize the meaning and purpose of their lives. His message is one of understanding, respect and tolerance between peoples, cultures and religions, non-violence, protection of nature and the environment and a vegetarian way of life. On 10 April 1998, Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda was initiated by the Parliament of the World's Religions as "Sarvabhaum Sanatan Dharma Jagadguru". At the Maha Kumbha Mela in Haridwar, India (13 April 1998), he was appointed as Mahamandaleshwar of Maha Nirvani Akhara. In 2001, on the occasion of the Maha Kumbha Mela in Prayagraj (Allahabad), he was awarded the highest spiritual title of Vishvaguru (Master of the Universe). Vishvaguruji's spiritual and humanitarian work provided great moral support to people from Eastern European countries, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Yugoslavia, especially during the communist era. For his outstanding charitable, humanitarian, religious and environmental work, for his tireless efforts for tolerance and peace in the world, Vishvaguru Maheshwarananda has been honoured by senior social, health, religious and political leaders in many different parts of the world. Recognizing the urgent need to spread and develop people's awareness of world peace, Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda has initiated global interfaith dialogues and prayers for world peace with representatives of world religions and public figures, and is an active participant in international congresses and conferences. In his home country, India, he has initiated and implemented several humanitarian projects in the field of health and education, such as the Gyan Putra project, which supports children from the poorest families and provides them with the opportunity to go to school. His other projects include the construction of hospitals and schools for girls from underserved rural areas, and the construction and establishment of the University for Ayurveda, Naturopathy and Yoga. One of the biggest spiritual projects involves the construction of Om Ashram at Jadan in Pali district. Vishvaguru Maheshwarananda is respected and appreciated worldwide by statesmen, scientists, doctors and eminent persons of different religions for his continuous spiritual and humanitarian work and efforts for the welfare and health of human beings, nature, environment and world peace. For his service to the science of yoga and the spread of physical, mental, social and spiritual health, he was awarded the honorary titles of Doctor of Yoga and Professor of the Spiritual Science of Yoga. As a disciple and successor of Hindu Dharmsamrat Paramhans Sri Swami Madhavananda, he is part of one of the oldest spiritual lineages in India, the Om Sri Alakhpuriji Siddha Pith Parampara, the holy incarnations and self-realized Masters, starting with Param Mahasiddha Avatar Sri Alakhpuriji and going to Param Yogeshwar Swamiji Devpuriji, Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji and Hindu Dharmsamrat Paramhans Sri Swami Madhavanandaji.

Swami Gyaneshwarpuri *1968

Monk, hermit and mystic

In 2000, I undertook a solitary mystical spiritual pilgrimage to the Greater Himalayas above Gangotri, a paradise for all mountain yogis and hermits, and then settled in the Czech Republic, where I practice my solitary Yoga Sadhana as a hermit. I like to spend time in secluded and remote places in the forests of the southern and central parts of the Moravian Karst, which are filled with positive energy. I was fortunate (had excellent karma) to be born near the Moravian Karst, the most sacred territory in the Czech Republic; a magical and mystical place, once inhabited by shamans and hermits. And I decided to pursue their legacy. I use many of the caves there for meditation purposes. With the consent of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area Administration, of course. I am a disciple of His Holiness Vishvaguru Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, a yoga master from India, who ordained me as a Hindu monk in Střílky on 23 July 2021. I became the first ever swami ordained in the Czech Republic. I am a member of the Vishvaguruji's worldwide Yoga in Daily Life Society, and as such I am a regular participant in satsang at the Mahaprabhudip ashram in Střílky. I am a former speleologist and an archaeologist who never finished his studies, a so-called "eternal student" at the Department of Archaeology and Museology of the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University in Brno. I have written dozens of articles and publications, mainly on speleology, but also on historical and archaeological topics. I published several spiritual samizdat works, culminating in 2025 with the publication of my first spiritual book, The Hermit's Journey.The Spiritual Journey to the Orange Robe of a Yogic and Hindu Hermit Monk Currently, the renowned publishing house Lukáš a syn in Brno, which specialises in books on spirituality, philosophy and religion, nature and civilisation, is preparing a proper edition of this book for the Czech market. And that is what this website, created with great Love and, I believe, Knowledge, founded in 2025, is all about. May this website, as well as my books, be of benefit to all devotees of the Vishvaguruji, all religions, all cultures, all times, and all worlds. I pray to God, Vishvaguruji Maheshwarananda, and the Himalayan yogis in heaven for intuition and the strength to write. This website serves only as an archive of all my spiritual, mystical, and philosophical thoughts. However, if you want to visit me online, so to speak, and form your own opinion about me, then visit my mirror website at Webnode called News from the Moravian Karst, where I currently have, with the consent of the authorities, my numerous meditation caves and hermitages.

Who is Swami Gyaneshwarpuri

Swami Gyaneshwarpuri is a devoted disciple of His Holiness Vishvaguru Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, Yoga Master and Teacher of the Spiritual Path from India, who he has been a follower of since 1996. During that time, he has undergone a tumultuous spiritual transformation as a result of Kundalini awakening, which, at the age of 53, resulted in his ordination – Sanyas Diksha – as a Hindu and yogic monk at the Maháprabhudíp ashram in Střílky on 23 July 2021. Becoming a swami was a longtime wish and goal of his life. Therefore, he observed the fast and went to the mountains and the forest to meditate. Until his wish literally miraculously came true by the Swamiji's Grace. Since then he has remained in santosha – contentment, all of his worldly desires dissipated, and he is returning to the Spiritual Home from which we came. Swami Gyaneshwarpuri stays as a lonely, silent hermit in the caves of the Moravian Karst. He was lucky enough to have been born near this most sacred place in the Czech Republic, a magical and mystical space, inhabited in the past by shamans and hermits, which he decided to follow. He is not a yoga teacher and does not preach Hinduism. He has the right to use the spiritual title of swami (master of the self) and to wear the orange robe, the dress of Indian yogis and sadhus. He has thus obtained this highest initiation of the Swamiji. He is of a cosmopolitan supra-religious mindset and inner disposition, hence he also worships the Christianity of Jesus, Buddhism, Taoism and other world religions. He is historically the first Hindu monk ordained in the Czech Republic. He writes professional publications in the field of speleology, sacral history and archaeology and, last but not least, his own original mysticism and philosophy, poems, spiritual stories and fairy tales with spiritual lessons. He pursues the Power of Love in all things and walks the Path of Knowledge (jnana yoga) as implied by his spiritual name Gyaneshwarpuri (gyana = jnana), which translates as "He who has understood". He is therefore an inner jnani, which corresponds to his hermit's philosophy of life, incomprehensible at first sight. He has been liberated since birth, but he has not yet realized the highest state of moksha consciousness, when the individual "self" becomes the whole Universe. However, he has his own inner guidance and connection to God, the Divine Self. To realize God and attain Enlightenment is his highest and only Goal in this incarnation to which he dedicates his spiritual yoga sadhana, meditation in retreat, mantra japa, repetition of God's name, prayers, yoga asanas, kriyas, etc. according to Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda's System of Yoga in Daily Life. At present, he often stays in lonely and desolate places in the mountains and forests. He has studied the Bible on his own since childhood, but he has never claimed to be a Christian. Later, he also read the Bhagavad Gita and other Indian scriptures. He also read some Buddhist and Taoist scriptures. However, what appealed to him most was the wisdom of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, Paramhansa Yogananda, Ramana Maharshi, Hanshan, Bhagwan Sri Dip Narayan Mahaprabhuji and of course Swami Maheshwarananda, in whom he recognized the essence of his spiritual insight into Truth from his meditation caves and mountain hermitages. He also venerates the ideal of the Himalayan yogis of India and St. Francis of Assisi. He does not teach yoga publicly, and as a true jnana, a man of knowledge, he accepts neither yoga students nor personal disciples. Currently, on Swami's recommendation, he lives with his mother in a small ashram in Brno – Bosonohy. The hermit Gyaneshwarpuri is someone who, above all, will not be spoken of, for he combines the boundless humility of Francis' rule with the boundless rigour of Sri Devpuriji against the demons of egoism. This, my friends, is Himalayan yoga in the Czech Republic.

My Spiritual Journey

I was born as Marek Šenkyřík (7 May 1968) into a traditional Christian family where everyone went to church on Sundays as far back as memory goes. I attained the sacrament of Christian adulthood, Confirmation, in the Catholic Church in 1986. On 23 July 2021, I was ordained a Hindu monk. I became the first ever swami ordained in the Czech Republic. I live a hermit's life in the Moravian Karst. I use many of the caves there for meditation purposes. However, I have also meditated at the source of the Ganges and above Rishikesh in the Indian Himalayan Region, in the Chey Pass in the Romanian Carpathians, in Monte Subasio above Assisi, on Stará hora in the Giant Mountains and in the Slovak Paradise. I continued to look for that one place where I could be alone and meditate undisturbed. I have spent thousands of days and nights in the solitude of meditation caves and mountain hermitages. So I know something for sure. That is my qualification. I act primarily through Love and Knowledge (bhakti and jnana). The power of Love – that is what I believe in. I am a hermit, not a spiritual teacher. I have the heart of Devpuriji. Enlightened Master of Yoga endowed with miraculous powers, the hermit Sri Devpuriji lived in the Himalayas at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and then settled in Rajasthan in central India. By the force of his will, he demolished the ashram and expelled the bhaktas, his disciples, and sent snakes upon them. People thought that the saint had gone mad. The motives for his actions were beyond human comprehension. From then on, he spoke only to those who were deeply and seriously interested in Knowledge. In this Kali Yuga, he preferred the company of animals to the company of people. On the Path of Yoga, I consider myself a follower of this saint. I have known that God has guided me from my birth. My God is Shiva, the eternal Master of all yogis, ascetics and prayers. He is the most compassionate and kindest God in the entire Hindu pantheon. A devotee who meditates upon Shiva will quickly attain final Liberation (moksha). Therefore, being a yogi and a Hindu, I know for a fact that I am not of Christian birth, though I have been close to Jesus in my heart since childhood. I will not be a Christian monk in this lifetime (or ever again) because they usually do not uphold the important rule of vegetarianism, which I consider a very serious transgression of the Catholic faith. I am very clear on this and I am a vegetarian in accordance with my conscience. So I return home to India. My current incarnation in the Czech Republic and Europe was only temporary. It's not just meat, I don't consume alcohol, tobacco or drugs. I detest these. I have come to know that the Spiritual Journey is the purification of all evil inclinations to attain only pure (sattvic) qualities. So I seek the company of spiritual and wise people (satsanga), for example in our ashram in Střílky. In addition, it is with joy and equanimity that I am practising monastic celibacy (brahmacharya) and
recommend it to everyone ready for greater well-being, harmony and inner understanding and insight into the mystical science of the saints (anubhava). I found everything I was ever looking for in a comprehensive form as concentrated knowledge in Yoga in Daily Life. It is undoubtedly one of the world's purest teachings. No wonder, for this is the teaching of one of the greatest living saints on Earth, whose spiritual titles indicate that he is a fully Enlightened Soul and Master of the Universe. This yoga teaching best suits my inner knowing from the mountain caves. I am therefore a devoted disciple (bhakta) of Swamiji. I would like to pass on this teaching, which liberates from all suffering, but so far I am doing so only in a meditative way, following the example of the Himalayan Masters, because my knowledge is still insufficient despite all my efforts. I still consider myself basically an experienced beginner in inner yoga. May I be forgiven by all those who are already beginning to turn to me. I want to uphold the vow of silence (mauna), the quiet and solitude in the outdoors. Therefore, I intend to live alone in the seclusion of the hermitage. I believe that this will give me the inner gifts that I will one day be able to give out in public. And that's what God demands. That is why Jesus was in the desert, going up into the mountain alone – to clarify his spiritual circumstances and calling. I want to fulfil it following the example of the old Masters in a romantic way. I believe in the mysterious power of God's name, my mantra, Silence and solitude with God. But it all depends on whether conservationists and foresters are sympathetic. So far, I have mostly faced misunderstandings. Who will let a hermit live in the forest? Who will offer me a forest with a spring of fresh water? A place where I could build my little hermitage and be alone and observed? Just as St. Francis of Assisi was given the abandoned Mount Alverna by a generous donor for his prayer and meditation… I rely on and believe in this Universal Principle. "LORD… who may live on your holy mountain?" (Psalm 15:1).

My early childhood encounter with wisdom (1977).

When I was a little boy, we would sometimes visit my great-grandmother Anna Putnová in Troubsko. My mother told me that she was a very pious and altruistic woman. I was less than 10 years old at the time. On one visit at my great-grandmother's, I climbed up a ladder to the loft above her simple "hermitage". And there I discovered a real treasure: the alchemy laboratory of my uncle Toník, who became a chemistry teacher. But he wanted to be a priest too, if it wasn't for aunt Eva. And in one of the suitcases, a strange book caught my eye. In golden letters, already darkened, it said: "EPICTETUS". Surprised by my find, I flipped through the book and took it home with me. At that important time, I must have been ten years old at the most. I read the book at home and was struck by its considerable wisdom. I was amazed that anyone would cultivate wisdom! I still remember that it said that some "things are in my power and some things are not in my power. It is not in my power, for example, what people think or say about me…" The book had a strong impact on me. Epictetus was an ancient philosopher who lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. Thus, in my early childhood I found myself on the Path of Wisdom and Knowledge. And when and how did you first encounter the wisdom of the mystics, philosophers and Masters? Apart from Epictetus, however, no other ancient philosopher has so far caught my attention. Because subconsciously, I am only interested in the Spirit of the East, especially India. Compared to the Yoga Masters, I didn't find the ancient philosophers that interesting. But I may be wrong.

Why I didn't become an archaeologist. (1991).

In 1990 and 1991, I briefly studied archaeology and history at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University in Brno. For some strange reasons, however, it did not make me feel internally fulfilled at all, even though I attended all the lectures. After the Velvet Revolution, there were no archaeology and anthropology textbooks available for my self-education. I was not able to write down notes during the archaeology lectures quickly at all, because I do not know how to write in shorthand. For these reasons, I interrupted my exhausting university studies after half a year, as my amateur speleological and archaeological explorations of the crypts in the underground of the Church of the Virgin Mary in Křtiny, which were extremely successful, culminated. Therefore, after a long and deep reflection, I really preferred to do field research in the underground of the church in Křtiny rather than just sitting at a school desk in a room illuminated by the dim light of fluorescent lamps while listening to the rapidly droning voice of Professor Podborský and his colleagues. Eventually, I gave myself completely to my research into the historical underground in Křtiny, and I neglected my studies at Masaryk University for these reasons until I left completely… I kept dreaming that instead of going to school, I would live as a hermit in the Moravian Karst, which I finally managed to realize when I built a small cabin with a group of my friends at Skalka in the southern part of the Moravian Karst, where I spent two long years in solitude in full harmony, free even from secular employment, in 1993–1995. Later on, however, I sincerely regretted that I had somehow not completed my archaeology studies, but it was not really possible in my karmic situation. But even in this freedom to leave university, I now see the mysterious action of God's special grace, which today only "I" myself can understand correctly. Really, where would I end up if instead of following God's Call, I devoted myself to tedious and mostly atheistic materialistic archaeology??? As I now know, absolutely everything is essentially mystical and God-managed in some way, but you have to listen to the narrative of your inner consciousness, for example, using mountain meditation, and keep pursuing this inner guidance no matter what happens to you, as I do to this day. All my life, I have been drawn to the mountains, forests, caves and hermitages. I believe that if I had successfully completed my archaeology studies at Masaryk University then, I probably would not have donned my orange gown of a Hindu swami and never fulfilled the most secret wish of my spiritual Heart. I would still be just an average, and probably even above average, secular professional archaeologist, holed up in some archaeological or museum depository, instead of following God's Call, devoting myself to my spiritual sadhana and belonging only to God and the Spiritual Journey, as I have fortunately been doing all my life.

Meeting with the guru in Střílky (1996).

We passed through the gate of the ashram in Střílky, with an orange flag flying above it, and found ourselves in a small square courtyard surrounded by buildings. Although the place was swarming with people, it was quiet. Somewhere deep inside me, a vague feeling emerged. Like two magnets coming together. Or like a fisherman pulling a fish ashore. Somewhere in the complex of buildings around us was the one we came here to see. Indian guru, Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda.I remembered living in the mountains. It was spring; I was living in an inaccessible remote cave and sitting on the rocks during the day. I was reading the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita and the Buddha's discourses. I was determined, amidst the wilderness, to find an answer to my heart-rending questions. I was sitting on a rock and suddenly realized how extremely subtle the spiritual path was. What a Babylon! If only I had an enlightened Master! I understood that it would be difficult to go on without a teacher. But where to find one? It is said that if the disciple is ready, the Master can always be found. But it is not that the Master taps on the disciple's shoulder. More likely, you are meant to recognize the Master among a million people. And most importantly, you begin to suspect who the real Master is. I was sitting on a limestone rock, with a buzzard circling high above me in the blue sky, the wind ruffling my hair, the sun shining and ants crawling on my legs. I could only see the wild and beautiful mountains. I suddenly remembered. I made up my mind in a second. "I must go to him!" flashed through my mind. I didn't wait for anything. Within five minutes, I packed my things and headed back to civilization.We were absorbing the atmosphere of the ashram courtyard when someone beside us remarked: "We are looking for karma yogis to dig a well!" A short yoga story played in my head. A young adept of the spiritual path came to a guru and asked to be accepted as a disciple. The guru accepted the young man and ordered him to practice. The young man diligently practised, meditated and performed his daily sadhana. After some time, however, he was overcome by the feeling that he was not making any progress. "I guess he's not the right guru," he decided and went in search of another teacher. After some time, he met another guru and became his disciple. Again he practised faithfully and fulfilled the duties imposed on him, but in time he again felt he was not making any progress. So he left to find a third teacher. But he also left them, as well as the fourth, the fifth, the sixth and the seventh one. Eventually, he returned in despair to the teacher he had met first. The guru took the young man back and let him dig a well. He was digging hard all day, but the well was only two metres deep in the evening. The next day, early in the morning, when he wanted to continue digging the well, the guru came to him and said: "Oh no, this is not the right place. Start digging elsewhere." And he left. So the young man dug in another place, working steadily all day, but in the evening he was only two metres deep again. The next day, the guru was again waiting for him early in the morning. "This is not the right place either. Start again and somewhere else." This continued in the following days. After a week, when seven two-metre holes were dug around the ashram, the young man asked the guru: "Master, what is the point of such work? If I had stayed to dig the first well, surely there would be water in it today!" "See," replied the guru. "If you had not left me and had continued with the practice, you could have reached the goal of your Path today. That is why you are still at the beginning."I didn't hesitate a moment longer and signed up for karma yoga. We were given the task of unloading excavated dirt from a tractor trailer. The tractor was driven by a man in his 50s. He had prayer beads around his neck, mala. He looked content. I asked him about the progress of digging the well. "You know, there are more problems the deeper you get," he said, and his eyes sparkled. I realized the spiritual aspect of the answer. I thought it was beautiful and I wondered if this man might be a Master. The dirt was soon off the trailer. "That's all," said the driver. "And what now?" asked Betty. "How about we go see that well? We could volunteer for night shift digging," we thought at the same time. And we were already at the door to the cellar where the well was being dug. I opened the cellar door and the cool damp air of the underground enveloped us. For a moment, I was seized with nostalgic memories of my caving past. I remember a time when exploring in caves, crypts, galleries, was my life. "We're being drawn underground again!" I said presciently as we were descending a steep brick staircase. With each step, a view of the cellar opened before us, dimly lit by the yellow light of a bulb. We were going lower and lower when suddenly we saw a group of people in front of us looking into a well. Someone was giving instructions about the depth and width of the well in smooth English. We stopped quietly on the last step and dared not go any further. My gaze fell on a man in an orange robe. I recognized him. It was the Indian guru Maheshwarananda. A group of men turned to us curiously. My gaze met the guru's. His brown eyes glowed with a strange brightness like two embers. He stared straight into my eyes for a few seconds. It was a penetrating X-ray-like look, the likes of which I had never seen before. My head was completely blank. No thoughts or questions. Just full attention. After a while, he turned away from us and continued to give instructions about the well. He said only a few words, however, and again measured Betty and me for a moment with that strange look. I tried to feel it through all my pores and register some special sensations. Friends had told me how, when they first met Swami Maheshwarananda, a powerful wave of energy swept over them, some experiencing a blissful feeling of euphoria, as after a long separation from a loved one, and longing to fall at his feet. However, I did not feel any of this. My mood was completely neutral. The guru finished giving his instructions and cheerfully made his way to leave. Betty and I were still standing on the last step of the staircase. He walked past me, and as he passed Betty, he leaned heavily on her shoulder until her legs almost buckled. I saw something. I was looking at a staircase, which in my vision represented the spiritual staircase to God on which we find ourselves. The darkness of the cellar represented the darkness of our ignorance in which we find ourselves and the top of the staircase bathed in the light outside, the goal of our Path – the light of Knowledge. And then, Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, the Indian guru, was ascending this mystic staircase from the darkness of the cellar. The word "GURU" consists of two parts. "GU" translates as darkness and "RU" as light. GURU is therefore one who leads from darkness to light. He who shows the way from ignorance to Truth.

My Master Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda gives a spiritual name to his disciples. Taking a spiritual name is a symbol of vairagya – renunciation, adherence to the spiritual path. It is similar to when a monk who enters a monastery renounces secular bonds and chooses a new spiritual name to carry. A similar thing happens in yoga. I was invited by Swamiji to live in the Jadan Ashram in India for 5 years. That brought out the vairagya in me. Taking the yoga name was my effort to get closer to the native Indians. So as a sign of renunciation, I had my birth name Marek Šenkyřík changed to Marek Gyaneshwarpuri, which means HE WHO HAS UNDERSTOOD. I received this name from my Master in 1996 under very mystical circumstances. It was at one big joyous satsang. Swamiji was just talking about the Bhagavad Gita, and he said that the best commentary on this holy book was written by the saint Gyaneshwari. At that time, I had a hidden desire to be given a spiritual name, but I couldn't say it out loud. Suddenly, the Master asked those of us present: "Which of you would like to be called Gyaneshwarpuri?" He added that it was "a very powerful name and that if he were not already called Maheshwarananda, he would want to be called Gyaneshwarananda." Swamiji thought so highly of this yogic name. I could feel my whole body becoming electrified, as if every atom of it was speaking that name. So I claimed this name and became Gyaneshwarpuri… I am completely satisfied with this name. The inner longing of my soul was thus satisfied. It means that I have a spiritual name to realize. Gyana (jnana) is a yogic path, one of the four paths of traditional yoga. These paths are: karma yoga, bhakti yoga, raja yoga and finally gyana yoga. By gyana yoga, I imagine a hermit's path, above duality, in voluntary helplessness, in concentration on the Divine Principle. Gyana is difficult to understand. It is a solitary, monastic path. The conjunction of the names Marek and Gyaneshwarpuri further symbolizes that I thought I was a Christian before I realized that I was actually a yogi and a Hindu.

My Indian Himalayas (2000).

In 2000, I travelled all alone along the legendary pilgrimage route of the seekers of Enlightenment, which stretches from Europe to Istanbul and then by bus through Iran and Pakistan to India. I visited the high Himalayas above Gangotri. I made a pilgrimage to the source of the Ganges 300 km deep in the interior of the Indian Himalayas. It was truly a mystical Himalayan initiation. Then, because of the harsh high mountain climate, I descended to the foothills of the Himalayas for 5 months to meditate and perform my spiritual sadhana under an overhang of limestone rock above Rishikesh, which is considered the spiritual centre of all seekers of Enlightenment. However, for reasons unknown, I did not mingle much with the Indian population, I just gave them financial donations on the holy banks of the Ganges. Under the rock overhang, however, I was visited by Himalayan yogis for whom I brewed tea. I met a swami in Rishikesh who was clairvoyant and he offered me a free stay in his Kriya Ashram. But I refused, because I already had my Master Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda at that time. I have only the best memories of the Himalayas and would love to go back again. I plan to make a new pilgrimage back to the source of the Ganges above Gangotri. After returning from India, I settled in the Czech Republic, because it is enough for me to live as a simple hermit in a hermitage or in a meditation cave in the Moravian Karst.

My solemn declaration to Swami Maheshwarananda before he ordained me as a monk (2021¨).

I declare that I will voluntarily and of my own free will become a Hindu monk. I will be ordained by the Indian Yoga Master Vishvaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Sri Swami Maheshwarananda. For the sake of clarification, I was born a Christian, but over time, I have come to understand that my faith is more of a Hindu one . Because at the time when I began to look for an enlightened Master to guide me on the mystical journey, the Catholic Church was unable to provide me with one. Someone like the stigmatized 20th century Italian Capuchin priest, Padre Pio. Unfortunately, he died in 1968, the year I was born. So we passed each other in terms of generations. Otherwise, I would surely have become a Capuchin monk like him. However, as I know for sure today, there is an insurmountable internal obstacle, because Christian monks do not usually follow a vegetarian diet, which is not a secondary problem, but a primary one. Swami Maheshwarananda, on the other hand, places great emphasis on a vegetarian diet with his disciples, and he adheres to it scrupulously as one of the prerequisites for a successful spiritual journey. That is the reason, following Swami's example, I became a Hindu yogi rather than a Christian. Yet I hold Christianity, Jesus and Francis of Assisi in the highest esteem. In 1996, I visited Swami Maheshwarananda at his Mahaprabhudip Ashram in Střílky in South Moravia. My expectations were completely fulfilled. I found the One I was looking for. Since that day 25 years ago, I have been a disciple of this Master. Now, the Swamiji have agreed to my ordination by initiation as a Hindu monk of the Swami order. At this point, I would like to point out that I respect all world religions, not only the aforementioned Christianity, but also Buddhism, Taoism, and all other religious systems. So I am tolerant in terms of religion. I will therefore be ordained according to the Indian tradition and I am grateful to God for that. My thanks go to Swami Maheshwarananda for his guidance, grace and clearing the path. I thank God from the bottom of my heart that I have met a true Yoga Master, am guided by him and will be ordained a monk by him. This will fulfil the greatest wish of my life. I pledge my lifelong love, respect, loyalty and devotion to Swami Maheshwarananda. This is because the Swamiji has restored my human dignity by his decision to ordain me as a sannyasin.

The presence of the mystic. Monk ordination (2021).

In spring 2020, I wrote an official request for an ordination as a monk (swami) for Vishwagura Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Sri Swami Maheshwarananda. At first, however, I did not dare to present my request to the Master, knowing that I had to be more disciplined. Yet, in my consciousness, I heard the voice "You are Swami Gyaneshwarpuri." That is why I started with tapas - fasting for several day to reach a specific spiritual goal. This goal was to be initiated as a monk as well as reaching greater understanding between Christians and us, yogis. I focused mainly on repeating the mantra, asanas, pranayama, and kriya. This extended sadhana was a success. I gained the necessary self-confidence and decided to present my request to the Master. On 13 July, 2021, at Mahaprabhudip ashram in Střílky, I sent my request for an initiation as a Hindu monk to the Master by the ashram mail. In a few minutes, Swamiji replied that he would like to give me a sannyasa diksha, but that it was necessary to hurry with it. And my heart was filled with gratitude, as if a beggar suddenly finds a treasure. That is why I went to Swamiji for a consultation, and he asked about the real reason why I wanted to be a swami. I answered him resolutely that I wanted to live as a hermit in the Czech Republic and at the same time to be an ordained monk! Then, Swamiji asked where my hermitage would be and what religion it would be dedicated to. I replied that in the Moravian Karst and that it would be consecrated to nothing else but yoga and Hinduism. Swami Maheshwarananda acknowledged that I wanted to be a hermit. The Master was probably pleased with my answers. He had a few more practical questions, such as where I would be getting money for my living. To these words he surprisingly determined that he would initiate me already during this Guru Purnima here, in the Střílky ashram, in just three days, on 23 July, 2021! It means that I did not have to go all the way to faraway India for a sannyasa diksha, as I was afraid of this journey. A record ten days passed between the application and the ordination! However, I had to complete numerous formalities with a notary, such as my affidavit with the stamp that I wanted to voluntarily become a clergyman of the Hindu religion, or a certified consent to ordination as a monk signed by my mother. Then, the solemn initiation followed, watched by many bhaktas, also on the Internet, as the ceremony was transmitted live. It was the first time in the Czech Republic (and in Europe) that a Hindu monk, a swami, was initiated here. Swamiji connected by phone with Pandits in India, who, in parallel with my ordination, performed a ceremony for me, accompanied by loud singing of mantras, which was transmitted by phone. During the sannyasa diksha, I bowed to the Master's lotus feet, poured water on them from the pot and washed them. Then I sprinkled petals on Swamiji's feet and head, and made a tilaka and Shiva's sacred stripes on his forehead from the ashes of a Vedic fireplace. Then, Swamiji was blessing me for a long time, sprinkling white grains of rice on my head. He was drawing my future destiny. He told me that everything would come true. Then he cut a strand of my hair off the Bindu Chakra on the top of my head. "Now you are a swami," said the Master, and my heart was filled with deep gratitude to the Master, to God, and to fate for this spiritual experience of the dream ordination as a Sannyasin. I was not touched by anything during the ordination itself, but I still perceived everything well in my heart, the whole ancient beautiful Vedic ceremony at the sacred fireplace. I have been granted the noble spiritual title of a swami and the right to wear the monk's orange robe. He made me a master of myself. First job he gave me was to take care of my old mother. During the ceremony, my attachment to my father and mother ended with the Master's words. Based on Swamiji's wishes, I should learn English and Hindi. With the sacred act of sannyasa diksha, the Master gave me human dignity and many of his bhaktas came to congratulate me, bring me dakshina and various gifts. From that moment on, I remain in a constant Santosha - contentment and I am permanently committed to God's will and care. Swamiji has declared that I am satisfied as it is, that is, as a hermit in the Czech Republic. I would also like to live in India, of course. The rest of the world is not of interest to me. To this, let me say that I believe in the forces of Love and Knowledge (Bhakti and Gyan). In this way, the good karma of many thousands of days and nights spent in the forests meditating on mantra japa and sadhanas in abandoned caves and mountain hermitages has been fulfilled. Still, I should not only meditate, but also work hard (karma yoga). That is why I have become involved, as a karma yogi, in the maintenance and enhancement of the Mahaprabhudip ashram in Střílky. So, yoga has beneficial cleansing effects on me overall and leads me to happiness and self-discipline. Currently, I plan to restore my old hermitage in the Moravian Karst, at Děravka, which the foresters had previously dismantled and burned. In doing so, I hold the hope in my heart that my new hermitage will be duly approved by conservationists and foresters so that, as a hermit of the Moravian Karst, I will have my favourite protected place for solitary prayer of the heart, mantra, meditation, and yoga.

Vision of the hermitage revival in the Czech Republic.

I have a vision. I see hundreds and thousands of young Czech men and perhaps even women wearing a brown or green cowl made with their own hands, maybe even an orange robe. I see them leaving this civilization and the company of their neighbours for the solitude of the border mountains or the highlands in the interior. I see them looking for abandoned mountain chapels, which there are thousands of in the Czech lands, I see them settling in there and becoming creatures of fairy tales. Hermits, shamans… strangers in the eyes of other people, who live in solitude in sacred places, in oak groves, in prehistoric hillforts, in caves and by forest springs. They are people who have given up their roles and ambitions in this grey joyless world to dedicate their lives to the greatest adventure which is the Spiritual Journey. I see them wandering aimlessly in the forests, talking to flowers, making friends with butterflies, praying among the trees, meditating on mountain tops, singing sacred chants and practising their spiritual exercises… and God bestows His graces upon them for the sincerity of their desire, guiding and protecting them, as He does anyone who has the courage to trust their heart and follow His call. Many return to the human world in time, richer in valuable experience, but some endure the pressure of loneliness and become initiates of the greatest spiritual mysteries. They become mystics in the highest and purest sense of the word, they become holy men and women who have purified their hearts and souls from the powers of darkness and who have glimpsed the deepest Mysteries of God. They will write poems for their kith and kin, and people will seek them for advice and for words of wisdom and comfort, for no one understands the mysteries of life better than the one who has perfectly understood the Self. And the best school of self-knowledge is the life of a lonely hermit. It is a difficult path, but those who are drawn to it by God from deep within would not trade it for anything in the world. They will enjoy a simple life in harmony with the whole Universe. A small backpack with all their belongings in it will do just fine. They will work just enough to defend their position of independence. It is true that they will break the laws of this society, but only because they are governed by Higher Laws, and so they will light a fire in the forest and go freely off the road, and they will fall asleep quietly under the treetops and wake up under the dome of the caves. They will not fight the world, for the world is sufficiently illuminated by their mere existence. And they will be as innocent as butterflies and so kind that even their opponents, officials, gamekeepers and conservationists will end up liking them. A hermit in the forest will become a prestigious affair, as their presence in the forest will become an ecological indicator of a clean, intact and harmonious environment. For a hermit's heart is extremely sensitive to any kind of pollution and therefore cannot live in just any place. And so all the gamekeepers will compete in offering the most attractive hermitage sites to attract hermits to their forests. And these will all be the most captivating and breathtaking places still left in the Czech lands: by waterfalls and mountain lakes, in the clouds among the mountain pine trees, in lost caves and at important prehistoric archaeological sites, so everyone will have their pick and everyone will get only the best…

Should I leave for India or stay in the Moravian Karst?

There was a discussion that I should go to Jadan (an ashram in India) and live near the Master. I do not think so, however, and I am deliberately pursuing my vision of a relatively independent life as a hermit in the Czech Republic. I just feel it in my Heart and this Journey has my heart. I am close to God wherever I think of Him. A quiet and peaceful place in a cave in the Moravian Karst will help me concentrate on the Divine Principle better than a crowded monastery. Although I have great respect for all the karma yogis and bhakti yogis who are helping Swami to build the colossal Om Ashram, I am staying at a distance here in the Czech Republic. I think it has a deep meaning, among other things because I have been instructed by the Master to take care of my mother. So I cannot travel anywhere. And so I want to pursue it in accordance with God's will. "It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another's duties. For to follow another's path is dangerous." Bhagavad Gita (3.35). It is pure jnana: I will probably not live in an ashram or a monastery, but separately in an anonymous hermitage. Because in our ashram, as I had the opportunity to find out, it is unfortunately not possible to live a purely contemplative hermit life. 

Consultation for mental distress based on the personal experience of Swami Gyaneshwarpuri.

Through meditation and introspection, I have come to understand with certainty that I am liberated from birth, liberated but with a small "l" just in case. It does not mean that I do not fall into the various – quite numerous – pitfalls of the karmas like most mortals here on Earth, except for Jesus, Swami Maheshwarananda and the avatars. So I call out to the world: "I am not Enlightened. I have not yet realized the highest state of consciousness – moksha, in which the individual self becomes part of the whole Universe!" Yet I am undoubtedly enlightened on some level, otherwise I would not be able to meditate and contemplate. "Something" would get in the way of these meritorious activities, just as (bad karma) prevents most of the secular population from doing so and living only secularly, not spiritually in the purest sense of the word. I have realized the Divine Connection. Atma gyan – knowing my soul as part of God, is my nearest Goal. I am a disciple of a living Yoga Master who is a Vishvaguru and a Paramhans – that is, a fully Enlightened Soul and Master of the entire Universe. My soul has come to know who He is. I boast in Him that He is the Friend of my soul. I have been one with Him since eternity. I Love and revere Him above all things. I entrusted myself to His Divine care. I feel like we have known each other before. I think I am Mahaprabhuji's disciple from past lives, but that is not important. This time, I was born here in Europe. That is why I am a follower of traditional Indian yoga, especially Himalayan yoga, but my beginning point was the sweetest Christian mysticism, which I experienced in a mountain way, following the example of St. Francis of Assisi. Here I say: glory be to the Lord Jesus, to Francis of Assisi and to Padre Pio! It may be that I am also here for Christians who are lacking something in their faith without knowing what it is. Perhaps it is body-mind work as a prerequisite for a successful life without suffering, a life of longevity, health and spiritual development of all the inner hidden forces, happiness and wisdom. And vegetarianism as the condition for sustainable survival on this planet Earth. That is, union with God through the practice of our pleasant, relaxing and miraculous Yoga in Daily Life, which is guaranteed to bring us to the Supreme Goal. This is something I have 26 years of experience in. I do gyana (jnana) meditation and mantra. I also practice other daily spiritual sadhana – asanas, pranayama, prayers and kriyas. In spite of all my efforts and endeavours, I am only an experienced beginner in yoga and meditation. But there is something I have undoubtedly inherited from past lives (viveka, fine discrimination). I understand God's Word well. I sit alone at the altar every night and learn. I listen to God's Silence. Sometimes, I am connected to a personal God. That is when my answers are unique. I like to listen to God, my protector and saviour. He knows the daily path I am to take. I am only an instrument of this higher and supreme Self, if the God wills it. Listen to the Silence with me, it is the source of Knowledge. I am here to show you the spiritual path by my example. I look at the picture of my Master – and He guides me. Blessed meditations at the feet of my Master. He is my treasure. Do not hesitate to chant the mantra with His Name. You too should please God with your mantra. You would be relieved of many worries that weigh on your mind. You are pleasing the Supreme Being. Surrender your Love to Him. You will see your purest dreams come true. Everything is possible with God. God will take your lives in His hands. We are children of the One God and I am His servant, instrument and messenger. I have spent thousands of days and nights in solitary meditation in caves and mountain hermitages… So I know something for sure. I can offer some advice. If you have questions for me, I will try to answer them from the heart (anahata). People come to me for consultation with their troubling concerns. I concentrate on the Master, practice centring prayer at my altar and answer in writing. That is what I do. However, if you have more complicated questions, please address them directly to my Master and Teacher Paramhansa Swami Maheshwarananda. He comes from India to Střílky in South Moravia several times a year. Do not be afraid to ask. My Master comes for that. However, many of the answers can be found on my website. I pray for your health and spiritual prosperity. That is why I keep repeating my guru mantra. It is my task to live this life as a hermit here in the Czech Republic. My Master ordained me as a monk of the Indian Swami Order at the Maháprabhudíp ashram in Střílky, South Moravia, on 23 July 2021. I gave myself to Him completely. I am trying to realize Him in this very life. I have His Grace and I receive well the Words of His Wisdom and Knowledge. It was out of this union that I decided to teach in solitude. I wish you the Happiness of union with God. Sincerely and Lovingly yours orange Swami Gyaneshwarpuri.

A mystical story to finish:

A sculptor was working on a statue in the quarry. But he wasn't very successful. Suddenly, the stone broke in two, and to his surprise he saw an ant holding a small grain in the middle of the crack. The sculptor pondered: "How did the ant get in there? Who feeds it?" And he thought: "Whoever gave you the beak will also give you food." He dropped his work and went home, even though it was only noon. His wife was surprised, especially when he told her that he would stop working altogether. "If an ant can survive in a stone, how could I die?" His wife calmed him down and sent him to the doctor. But he went on: "Why, I'm normal, and if fate, God, or whatever you want to call it, wants to give me something, let it be thrown down through our roof. If it was just put in front of my door, I wouldn't go for it! I am nobody's servant. If God gave me life, he must help me survive." Women are kind-hearted, but everything has its limits. There's a saying that people love you for your work, and if you don't work for your family, the love will fade away. But the sculptor didn't relent. One evening, he said to his wife: "Earlier today, I had a stick, and I was just digging around in the sand, and suddenly a wooden chest appeared, and it was full of jewels and gold." The woman quickly asked: "Where is it?" "Well, I buried it again! If fate wants to give me riches, let it bring them to me here, why should I bother?" "You're crazy, tell me where it is." Two thieves happened to be standing at the window and heard everything. They decided to find the treasure that very night. They succeeded in finding the chest, but when they opened it, there were only snakes and scorpions writhing in it, much to their surprise. "The cunning man must have known about us and set us up," they figured. "But we're really going to throw that chest down his chimney." And they dragged the heavy chest up to the roof, threw it straight into the bedroom, and fled. When the wife opened it, it was filled with jewels and gold. The man calmly said: "This is what fate wanted to give me, take it, I'm not interested." And the moral of the story is: If anything is really within your karma, it will come to you, and if it is not, you will not attain it. 

Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda
Divine Mirror. Stories of a Yoga Master.