Czech translation of the "Hidden Powers in the Human" book
On 30 November 2004, the official introductory presentation of Czech translation of the book "Hidden Powers in the Human" was held at the Czech Ministry of Culture in Prague. Presided by the author of the book, His Holiness Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, the event was attended by the First Deputy Minister of Culture Mr. Zdenek Novak, the Ambassador of India to Czech Republic His Excellency Shree P.S. Raghavan, Director of the "Mlada Fronta Publishing House" Dr. Jiri Kolecek and representatives of the "Friends of India Association" and "Yoga In Daily Life".
In his speech, His Excellency Sri Raghavan thanked His Holiness Swamiji for spreading the original teaching of yoga in Europe and for demystifying yoga in the West. In today’s world, he said, yoga is valued as a path to inner harmony and clarity. Other speakers wished the book much success on its way to the readers. Swami Maheshwaranandaji spoke about mutual relationships between cultures of the world and the necessity to know other cultures and respect them. He emphasized that culture is borne by people - that is why culture is alive and continuously developing. Swamiji thanked the "Mlada Fronta Publishing House" for bringing out the book and expressed his gladness about the big interest among the readers. In conclusion he announced his intent to open a Chamber of Czech Culture in the Multicultural and Humanitarian center of "Yoga in Daily Life" in Jadan (Rajasthan/India).
At a press conference that took place after the presentation, Swami Maheshwaranandaji answered a number of questions from the press relating not only to his book but also to the relationship between Czech and Indian culture and the acceptance of yoga in Czech Republic in general.
Swamiji explained that the book "Hidden Powers in the Human" is an inspiration on the path to spiritual realization, but that a guidance of a living Master is also necessary to achieve the knowledge of the Self. In comparison with his previous book, "Yoga In Daily Life: The System", which focuses more on physical health, the current publication is intended for readers who want to delve deeper into yoga – to its energy, mental, and spiritual levels.
Swamiji further told that "Yoga In Daily Life" is a world-wide organization which, in addition to spreading and teaching yoga, also pursues humanitarian goals such as providing free education to poor and orphaned children in rural areas of India. It is a scientific system, developed over the years of Swamiji’s activities in former Czechoslovakia, where it also received its name. Swamiji compared the teaching of yoga in Czech Republic today and during the Communist period. Nowadays there are many spiritual movements and teachings in Czech Republic and it is often difficult to choose among them. Due to the fact many spiritual seekers remain only on the surface of spirituality, while under the previous regime it was more difficult to teach spiritual components of yoga, but practitioners were achieving greater depths of knowledge.
