Krishna Avatar, Part 46

By Nirooshitha Sethuram, Yogaratna

Graphics by Sheralee (Shambhavi) Hancherow

As Harishchandra’s son refused to leave his mother, he was sold along with his mother. Harishchandra hugged his son tightly to his chest, bursting into a stream of tears. His wife Chandramathi fell flat at her husband’s feet to get his blessings before departing.

The cruel-hearted old man who bought them, without mercy yelled at them to follow his lead. Harishchandra watched them leave, in desperation unable to do anything.

The sage Vishwamithra visited again and demanded the donation. Harishchandra happily gave all that he had from selling his wife and son. The sage wasn’t too happy with the donation and asked for more. Harishchandra didn’t have any other choice but to sell himself. He sold himself to a person who oversees disposing human remains. So, the great King Harishchandra’s duty was to burn off dead bodies. With this, he was not only able to settle all his debt, but also was able to lose his identity of being a great King.

Harishchandra carried out his new duty righteously, collecting the fees on time and giving it all to his master without missing a penny. After a while working at the cremation ground, one day around midnight Harishchandra found a woman half-clad, with her dead son on her lap. She looked completely exhausted as if she had been crying for a long time.

She asked for help from Harishchandra to burn her son’s body as she didn’t have any money to offer for the services. As much as he wanted to help the poor woman, he couldn’t do it as he was merely a servant to his master.

The woman pleaded with Harishchandra, saying that she was a servant of a stone-hearted old man, who was very unkind, and she needed to get back to work before sunrise. Harishchandra looked more closely at her.

Though he couldn’t see her face in the dark, he noticed the wedding necklace in her neck shining brightly, in contrast to all else that she was wearing and saying. He then demanded her to give the money, saying that she could get money with the golden wedding necklace she was wearing.

The woman was so hurt by this. She screamed with a loud voice saying, “Why am I still alive? If this cemetery keeper can see my wedding necklace, that means my chastity is going to be questioned. It’s only my husband who can see this necklace, according to the boon I had when I was born.”

Harishchandra immediately recognized that this woman in rags was none other than his beloved wife Chandramathi, and the boy lying lifeless was his son. He hugged his wife and the body of his son. He arranged a huge pyre, laying his son’s body on it. Harishchandra then told Chandramathi to go get the money from the master.

Even though Chandramathi was quite sure that she would not get a penny from her boss, to satisfy her husband she started running towards the master’s home. On her way she saw a young boy’s corpse on the streets. Her heart went out for this boy, so she dragged him from the street and held him on her lap.

Next thing you know, she was surrounded by royal guards. She was accused of killing the son of the king of Kashi for the sake of his jewelry. The thieves had run away with the golden treasures, abandoning the corpse, while Chandramathi’s fate brought her to this trouble.

Chandramathi was taken to the king. As she was in shock, she couldn’t say a word. With the evidence totally against her, she was charged with murder and treason. She was sentenced to be beheaded.

^{Sage Chandramathi, son & Harishchandra (3)}

Chandramathi was taken to the cemetery by the royal guards. Harishchandra was called upon by his master and asked to behead Chandramathi. Harishchandra’s heart stopped for a moment. He could clearly understand the poor state of his wife. His hands trembled to even to hold the sword. He cried without knowing what to do.

Chandramathi addressed her husband in a very firm voice and said to him to uphold the righteous and to be truthful. Not to give it away for the sake of her life. She was willing to give up her life for her husband’s truthfulness.

When Harishchandra was just about to perform his action, Vishwamithra interfered. The sage said, “Oh king, why are you suffering like this? All you must do is refuse to do what you promised. I will give everything back to you.” He encouraged Harishchandra to lie to win his kingdom back.

Harishchandra and Chandramathi fell on the sage’s feet. They said that water purifies the body and truthfulness purifies the mind. That it is as precious as life itself, only that it is internal. For the sake of worldly life, we cannot give up on truth. Then they both got up and Harishchandra raised the sword to behead Chandramathi.

The sword went right to her neck, but what a miracle! As soon as it touched her neck, it disappeared, instead turning into a beautiful garland full of fragrance. The devas were blessing them with flowers raining down from the heavens. The public was taken by this blissful scene.

To everyone’s astonishment, their son Devadas stood as if he was waking from a deep sleep. Sage Vasishta was there, delighted to see Harishchandra and Chandramathi, and to witness the triumph of truthfulness.

Sage Vishwamithra was taken by all this and realized his mistake. He too blessed the couple, giving not only all Harishchandra had lost but also half of the powers of penance to the truthful king, as the sage had promised earlier. Harishchandra lived for a long-time, ruling Ayodhya righteously, continuing to be truthful.

Before returning to the Pandavas’ story, I will share one additional story the Pandavas heard from the great sage during their time in the forest.

Once, there was a noble and just king named Shibi. Born into a line of righteous rulers, King Shibi was known for his wisdom, courage and unyielding sense of justice. He was a descendant of the legendary Bharata dynasty. His father, King Usinara, was an equally revered ruler.

^{King Shibi, dove (Agni) & eagle (Indra) (5)}

King Shibi was married to a beautiful and virtuous queen. Together, they had several children who were taught the importance of upholding dharma and leading a life of righteousness. The royal family was greatly admired and respected by the people of the kingdom for their kindness, generosity and dedication to their subjects’ well-being.

His fame spread throughout the world. News of his magnanimity reached even the heavenly realms. Indra, Lord of Heaven, wanted to test King Shibi to see if he was as great as his fame suggested. So Indra and Agni, the God of Fire, came down from heaven to test the King.

Agni assumed the form of a dove and Indra became a fierce eagle. Agni flew in front, fluttering his wings as if terrified with Indra following at a distance, as if in hot pursuit. They flew straight towards the king’s palace.

The frightened dove took shelter in king’s lap. As the King had vowed to protect those who seek shelter, even though in this case it was a bird, he decided to protect it.

The king comforted the dove with peace-filled words and he was ready to face the eagle. The eagle flew in, demanding the release of the dove as it was his prey. The righteous king realized that he was in a dilemma. While protecting the dove, he must fulfill the eagle’s hunger.

The eagle agreed to let the dove go if the king would offer equal weight of flesh from his own body, but without shedding a single teardrop. The King agreed to this demand. He called his guards and set up a scale where he placed the dove on one side and a large chunk of flesh from his right thigh on the left.

To his surprise the weight of dove was more. He added more, but even after additional flesh was added, the weight of dove was more. Even after cutting the whole of his right half of the body, the dove’s weight was not equaled.

As he is man of his words, he decided to offer the left side of his body as well. As he was about to cut the left side of his body, the eagle and the dove disappeared. In their places stood the Gods Indra and Agni. The Gods granted the king many boons. King Shibi ruled righteously for many years. After his death, he went directly to heaven to enjoy the fruits of his good deeds.

More to come…

1. Vishwamithra https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=413677098670837&set=a.390684834303397

2. Harishchandra, Chandramathi & son https://openthemagazine.com/columns/the-dilemmas-of-harishchandra
3. Sage Chandramathi, son & Harishchandra https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1868747543429115&set=harischandra-and-chandramathiharischandra-purana-mayana-kandam-happenings-in-cre
4. Flowers falling from heaven Illustration by S.A. Hancherow
5. King Shibi, dove (Agni) & eagle (Indra) https://www.boloji.com/articles/7052/shibi-rana
6. King Shibi cutting flesh https://www.sawanonlinebookstore.com/king-shibihttps://www.sawanonlinebookstore.com/king-shibi

A Full-Hearted Life

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By Swami Satrupananda

You want to live your life with an open heart. You want everything you do to warm your heart.

You want your heart to overflow and to share that with others. This can be your physical and emotional heart, but it is only truly satisfying if it is the heart of your being.

When you show up full-hearted, it is about putting your whole self into it. Your body, mind, heart and more all show up — open and ready to give. This is how you want to live. Then even washing the dishes is fulfilling. It’s not about the task. It’s not even about your heart. It’s about your wholeness.

While you want to live from your wholeness, it can be challenging. You might have been hurt in the past, so you protect your heart. Your body might have aches and pains, so you’ve numbed out parts of your body. And there may be some dark corners of your mind where your scariest thoughts lurk. To protect yourself, you don’t go there. While you are protecting yourself from these pains, the result is that you don’t have your wholeness.

Yoga reverses this process. The yoga poses and breathing practices open up your body and breath, making you more embodied. You breathe deeper, have less pain and have a more capable body. Meditation and chanting open up your mind and heart. You have clarity, decisiveness and the ability to follow through with your decisions.

As your heart opens up, you are able to feel more love and to love more. And there are more dimensions of your wholeness that yoga opens up for you. One of yoga’s maps lists 36 dimensions of your own being.

The purpose of the yoga practices is for you to rediscover your multi-dimensionality and the wholeness of who you truly are. Then you can bring your wholeness into every moment of your life. To get to yoga’s promise, simply do the practices that are recommended. It’s like anything in life — you follow the instructions to get the promised outcome.

Patanjali, a yogic sage, gives us guidance on our yoga practice:

Sa tu deergha-kaala nairantarya-satkaaraasevito drdha-bhoomih

Practice becomes firmly established by being continued for a long time without interruption and with devotion.

– Yoga Sutras 1.13

Like everything in life, you work at something for a long time and without interruption to make progress. The same is true and necessary when you are opening up to your inner wholeness. You do practices every day. Every day you re-open again what has closed down as well as open up new dimensionality.

Bit by bit, you open up more and more of who you truly are. The incremental changes delightfully creep up on you. Then something happens in your life, and you realize that you have changed. There is more of you here now.

Pain is a great motivator to do the yoga practices. It is painful to be closed down to the multi-dimensionality of your inner wholeness. This includes physical pain as well as mental and emotional pain. Pain can motivate you to begin your yoga practices. And pain can motivate you to continue your yoga practices for a long time and without interruption.

And Patanjali tells us that devotion is also needed. You need to put your heart into your practice. This comes naturally as you love the practices, or love how you feel after doing the practices. But it is also about actively putting your heart into your practices. Then your yoga practices take on a new vibrancy as you put your heart into them.

I loved how the practices made me feel from the very beginning. This, along with pain, was a great motivator to consistently attend weekly yoga classes. Over time, this grew into a home practice and then a consistent daily home practice.

And, now, I do the practices because I love them. I also love how they make me feel. And I do the practices because of my devotion to those who shared them with me.

My Guru, Gurudevi Nirmalananda, shares the teachings and practices with me. As a Shaktipat Guru, she fuels the practices with Grace, the power that reveals to you your inner wholeness. I do the practices out of devotion to Gurudevi, to the Grace. I feel there is no better expression for my gratitude and love than doing the practices.

So, do the yoga practices because you love to do them or because you love how they make you feel. The more yoga practices you do, the more you know and you be your wholeness. Then you bring the whole of you into your life. This includes your heart and so much more.

Then you have not merely a full-hearted life but, more importantly, the wholeness of your being. You have a “full-You” life. What a glorious way to live!

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Why a 2024 Calendar-Journal?

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By Gurudevi Nirmalananda

I bring this book to you because I’ve been inspired by others. I have seen many yogis sharing online about quotes they’ve read and memes they’ve seen. Inspiration for how to live your life comes from so many sources. So, I thought a yogi could share about how to live as a yogi.

I was surprised to find out that I am quotable. When I was President of Yoga Alliance, I was interviewed by journalists from many different publications. One of them told me, “Every line you say is so quotable.” I was delighted to find that my message comes through so clearly.

Now I realize it is like sutras – short pithy sayings with layers and layers of meaning. A way to capture your mind and heart so the Truth contained in them will echo inside for you.

I know where that clarity comes from, which is why I live in endless gratitude to my Baba. And I recognize that, having been given such a gift, it is my dharma to share.

So I come to you daily, if you allow. In this book, with daily quotes, which we will be using in my daily Meditation Club as well. Let’s bring more light into the world, together.

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From Desire to Peace

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By Swami Prajñananda

Before yoga, I had this burning desire to make something of myself. I wanted to go places and do things, big things.

Yet, no matter where I went or how much I did, I didn’t have peace. At least not for long. I knew I was looking for something desperately, but I didn’t know what it was. So I kept looking. The funny thing was I kept thinking, “I need a teacher. I need a teacher.”

I somehow knew without having the vocabulary for it, that I needed a Guru, a spiritual teacher. I found her when I met Gurudevi Nirmalananda. She directed my attention inward to discover what I had been looking for all along. I began to explore the mystery and majesty of my own inner world. I was like a child, re-discovering how to walk and talk, even how to breathe. The highlight of each day became my morning meditations. I never knew what I would experience, but it was always a new wonder.

This wonder extended beyond my meditation seat. For the rest of my day, I had this new quality of ease. Instead of the constant underlying anxiety, I was feeling quite different: calmer, steadier — dare I say peaceful?

Yes. It was peace. And it didn’t matter what was happening on the outside. Life still had its ups and downs. The pressures were still there, yet they no longer had a hold on me like before. Instead, I was drawing from a deep inner well. It was a well of bliss and peace that I had been plumbing in each morning meditation. Their waters nourished me the whole rest of the day. And they continue to do so to this day.

To explain further, I have selected a verse from the teachings of Bhagavan Nityananda, a Great Being in our tradition:

Once you attain perfect inner peace, there is

No need to travel anywhere.

No need to see anything.

No need for pilgrimages to holy places.

All can be seen within.

— Bhagavan Nityananda, “The Sky of the Heart” verse 33

What a shift in perspective! And it comes from meditation. Meditation gives you the experience of inner peace, your own Self. When you are full inside, you have no need.

Yes, you can travel, but you don’t need to. You can go and see great wonders in the world or even right in your hometown, but you don’t need to. You can go to the holiest of places, yet the most holy of them lies right within you. As Nityananda says, “All can be seen within.”

Yet, don’t confuse the message. This is not about isolation and non-participation. Instead, this is about prioritizing your inner state. When you are full, you bring your fullness with you everywhere you go. So instead of going out of need, you go out of choice. You choose to go where you go. You choose to see what you see. And when you are so full from within, you choose to give from your fullness. It is an extraordinary way to live.

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Krishna Avatar — Part 45

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By Nirooshitha Sethuram, Yogaratna

Graphics by Sheralee (Shambhavi) Hancherow

Savitri’s father didn’t have any other choice but to agree to her marriage with Satyavan. The marriage happened in a grand scale and the couple went back to the forest hut to start their life together.

Savitri cared for her husband lovingly, wearing the clothing of a hermit and living in perfect obedience to her in-laws. After living happily for almost a year, a few days before the predicted death of Satyavan, Savitri took a vow and performed severe austerities.

On the last day, when Satyavan picked up his axe to go into the forest, Savitri rose early and requested him to take her along with him to the forest. While he was cutting wood, she made garlands sitting under a tree. After a while Satyavan felt a little tired and came and lay down resting his head in Savitri’s lap. Suddenly there was darkness and Savitri saw Yama, the God of Death, taking the soul of her husband.

As Yama was leaving, Savitri ran after him pleading for the return of her husband. At first, Yama was surprised, wondering how she could see him. But then he understood the power of her devotion and chastity. So he explained to her that giving her husband’s life back was something that he couldn’t do. So, she asked Yama to take her life, too, along with her husband’s. Yama said that her time has not come yet and for her to go back to her hut.

Savitri was so adamant she refused to return without her husband. She continued following Yama. Yama was amazed by the power of her love and determination. He offered to grant her any boon, except Satyavan’s life. Savitri wisely asked for the boon of sons. “So be it,” replied Yama. Then Savitri asked, “But how can I have sons without my husband?”

Yama knew that he had to return Satyavan to Savitri if she had to have sons. So, Yama gave Satyavan his life back. Satyavan’s body came back to life. He slowly woke up as though he had been in a deep sleep.

The couple returned to the hut and to their surprise Satyavan’s father Dyumatsena had regained his eyesight. Savitri told them all about what had taken place in the forest. As they were praising her, Dyumatsena’s ministers arrived with the news of the death of his enemy. Jubilantly, the king and his entourage return to his kingdom.

Thus, by telling the story of the great Savitri, whose devotion won the life of her husband, Sage Markandeya answered Yudhishthira’s question.

Another of the many stories recited to Yudhishthira and the Pandavas is the story of King Harishchandra.

There once lived a king named Mathithayan who ruled his kingdom righteously. He was a handsome, kindhearted, brave king. Even though he was blessed with a mighty kingdom and happy citizens, he didn’t have a child to continue his legacy and dynasty. So, he prayed and gave alms to sages. After all these good deeds he was blessed with a baby girl who shone like a beautiful full moon. Thus she was named Chandramathi.

There are no words to describe the happiness of the king & queen. Right at that moment there was a voice from the heavens, stating that the child was born with a wedlock necklace in her neck, and whomever who was able to see this would be her husband. The puzzled parents looked at her neck and obviously couldn’t see any necklace.

Everyone treated her as a divine child. Chandramathi grew up to be a beautiful, bright, wise and humble princess. When she attained the age for marriage, the king invited all the kings for a svayamvara, where the princess would choose her husband.

On the day of the svayamvara, the Kings from all corners of the world arrived. They were all dreaming that they were going to be the chosen ones to marry the princess. Chandramathi walked into the hall with a garland in her hand with her best maid. The maid introduced each King and announced their bravery and glory.

While passing many kings and proclaiming their greatness, the maid stopped in front of a king and announced, “My dear Princess, the gentlemen in front of you is the king of the Kosala kingdom, Harishchandra. He is ruling from the capital city of Ayodhya, righteously. He is famous for his Truthfulness. Never has he lied in his life. He protects his kingdom like a parent protecting his children.”

Chandramathi was taken by this introduction and paused in front of him. King Harishchandra looked at her and couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He was so furious, his eyes turned red. He jumped out of his seat and yelled at the King.

“This is very wrong and unrighteous. How could you have a married woman choose another husband, pretending to be a maid? I have never seen this happen ever in my life. I can see her wedding necklace shining brightly in her neck. Another marriage for her while wearing this? Shame on you for inviting all of us and insulting us this way. Is this the way you rule righteously?”

The king rose quietly from his seat and challenged the audience, including the kings who attended, asking them if they could see any necklace on his daughter, the princess’s neck. Except for Harishchandra none of them could see the wedding necklace on her neck.

When Harishchandra thought that he was losing his mind, the king revealed the secret of Chandramathi’s divine birth. Chandramathi threw the garland in the air, and it landed on Harishchandra’s neck. Harishchandra was taken by all what had happened and was very happy to marry Chandramathi.

The marriage happened in a very grand scale with the blessings of all who attended. The newlyweds returned to Ayodhya and lived happily. Chandramathi was a very devoted wife to her husband, and followed his truthfulness herself. After some time, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. The parents were delighted to welcome him into the world and named him Devadasan. The glory of Harishchandra and his wife spread all over the earthly realms and to the heavens.

One day the King of the Devas, Indra, was listening to the stories from earthly realms. He asked everyone in the assembly a question, if there is any king who rules the earth, not only with righteousness, but also with honesty. Sage Vasishtha immediately stood up and shouted Harishchandra’s name and started praising his glory, including his truthfulness and his vow of loyalty to his wife.

Hearing this, his long-time rival, Sage Vishvamitra stood up and challenged what Vasishtha said. The angry Vasishtha asked Vishvamitra to prove him wrong and promised, if that would happen, Vasishtha would give away all his powers of penance. Seeing all this, Sage Narada provoked Vishvamitra to take up the challenge. Vishvamitra then said if Harishchandra succeeded, that he would give half of the powers of his penance to the truthful king.

Vishvamitra visited the earthly realm planning to fail Harishchandra. At first, he asked Harishchandra for wealth to perform a yaj~na. The king delightfully gave everything the sage needed. Then Vishvamitra sent wild animals to destroy everything, but the king was able hunt them and chase them away. Next the angry sage sent a wild boar, which the king successfully got rid of too.

Now the sage decided to allure him with beautiful women. He sent two beautiful, heavenly looking women to the king’s assembly. They were singing and dancing beautifully Infront of him in a very provoking manner. The King rewarded them with gifts for their talent, but they refused to accept the gifts and asked the king to marry them. The King humbly refused their request and rewarded them with more gifts. Refusing to accept gifts, they were adamant that the king should marry them. The king got really irritated and angry, and ended up chasing them away.

King Harischandra, Chandramati & Devadasan leaving kingdom ⁽⁷⁾

Then Vishvamitra came, claiming that the women were his daughters and demanded the king to marry them. He said to the king, that he had insulted his daughters by his refusal. The king explained to the sage about his vow of loyalty to his wife. The king offered to give all his land and his kingdom.

The angry sage accepted all of that, but only as an initial payment, asking for more. The king requested time to fulfill the payment. The citizens were devastated to see their beloved king leaving the kingdom with his wife and son. They begged the king to stay with them, but Harishchandra was able console them and left the kingdom anyway.

After a long difficult journey, Harishchandra with his family reached Kashi, the holiest city. He lived there in poverty with his family. After a month’s time, Vishvamitra presented himself again and demanded the donation that was promised to him. He suggested the King should break his promise, so that the misery would end.

Harischandra, Devadasan & Chandramathi ⁽⁸⁾

But Harishchandra upheld telling the truth as the highest principle and told the sage that he still had time to fulfill his promise. The sage agreed and said that he will return soon to collect the debt.

Harishchandra was so worried as to how he was going to pay his debt. He didn’t even have money to feed his own family. His child was starving, with no food to have for days. Seeing her husband suffering, Chandramathi suggested that Harishchandra should sell her as a slave. Hearing this Harishchandra’s heart broke into pieces. But Chandramathi insisted that it was the only way to uphold satya/truthfulness.

With great hesitation, Harishchandra accepted her proposal and sold her to a grumpy old man. As their son refused to leave his mother, he was sold along with Chandramathi.

More to come…

1. Satyavan & Savitri – https://soundcloud.com/dan-scholz/savitri-and-satyavan?in=dan-scholz%2Fsets%2Fwhere-your-favorite-princess
2. Yama, Satyavana & Savitri – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savitri_and_Satyavan#/media/File:Savitri_and_Satyavan.jpg
3. Svayamvara ceremony – https://discover.hubpages.com/relationships/Swayamvara-the-Ancient-Hindu-Marriage-Custom
4. The Wedlock Necklace – https://www.exoticindiaart.com/product/paintings/ornamented-bride-canvas-painting-miw839
5. Sage Vasishtha – https://glorioushinduism.com/2021/01/25/vashishta-the-rishi-of-three-lifetimes
6. Vishvamitra & Harischandra – https://en.wikipe – dia.org/wiki/Harishchandra#/media/File:What’er_though,_Great_sage.jpg
7. King Harischandra, Chandramati & Devadasan leaving kingdom – https://mythgyaan.com/harishchandra-story
8. Harischandra, Devadasan & Chandramathi – https://mythgyaan.com/harishchandra-story

Peek into Living Mysticism

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See how Gurudevi’s new Calendar Journal helps you celebrate the special days in the year, beginning with Valentine’s Day. Let her teachings seep into your day and fuel your yoga.

February 14 — Valentine’s Day

Since yoga makes you more “you,” you become more loving and more loveable.

February 15

Your love becomes pure and powerful only when you discover the perfection, wholeness and fullness of your Self.

February 16

The infinity of your own svaroopa is made of love — and more.

February 17

Your heart doesn’t need filling. It already encompasses the ocean: the ocean of your own immortality.

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Who Raises You Up?

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By Swami Shrutananda

I was mesmerized when I heard the song You Raise Me Up, sung by Peter Hollens. Being so full of gratitude, love and devotion, it got me contemplating: whom do I have gratitude for?

Who has raised me up? The composer, Rolf Loveland, states everyone raises one another up. Josh Groban, who wrote the lyrics, says God raises him up. This is Grace.

I have found that Grace has been there throughout my whole life. Perhaps yours, too. Not everything has been easy, but I have gotten help along the way. As I listened to this song, I thought of my family, my teachers, co-workers, friends and God. They all supported me and raised me up to more than I thought I could be.

Then I found a spiritual master, a yoga Guru, Swami Nirmalananda Saraswati (aka Gurudevi). She showed me that I am so much more. More than others think I can be. But more importantly — so much more than I think I can be.

This is the specialty of the Svaroopa^® Sciences. They raise you up physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. You get it all!

You can’t pull yourself up to such a state by your own bootstraps. You need a Guru. A Guru is an agent of Grace. The importance of the Guru is that they raise you up to what they got from their Guru.

From their Guru, they got the knowing of their own Divine Greatness within, the one Self being everyone and everything. So a Guru is someone who can guide you, inspire you and push you when needed.

For me the Grace of the Guru is described in this verse from “You Raise Me Up”:

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary

When troubles come, and my heart burdened be

Then, I am still and wait here in the silence

Until You come and sit with me.

Soul level is the deepest level of your individual existence, reincarnating from lifetime to lifetime. It empowers you to bring your sense of separation and pain with you, along with all your karma. Your soul needs a way to access the Ultimate Reality — your own Self — that you feel separate from.

To end that sense of separation, meditation is a primary practice. You sit in an easy upright position and wait in silence. But being left alone with your mind and all its thoughts can be a little daunting. In Svaroopa^Ò Vidya meditation you are given the mantra of this lineage to repeat. This sacred phrase settles you inward deeper than your mind. Your meditations are deep and easy.

How does the mantra work? The mantra is the portable Guru. When repeating mantra, you are calling the Grace of this lineage to you. With each repetition you are invoking their presence and their blessings. They support you as you undertake your inner exploration of your own Divine Greatness.

One morning during meditation, I suddenly felt like I was being lifted up right off my meditation seat. I was reminded of this meditation experience by the song’s second verse:

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas.

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders

You raise me up to more than I can be.

In that meditation experience, I saw and felt the force that was beneath me. It was Bhagavan Nityananda, a Great Being of this lineage. I was being lifted up on his shoulders. Surges of bliss were coursing through my body. Angels were singing his chant, Jaya Jaya Arati. We chant this at the Ashram to honor Bhagavan Nityananda every morning. I was ecstatic.

From that experience, I know I am riding on the shoulders of the great spiritual giants of this lineage. This is Grace. The Gurus raise you up to more than you think you can be.

Once you know your own Divine Greatness, you can stand on mountains. Not only stand on mountains but know you are the mountains, the skies, the oceans and more. You will come to know you are that One Divine Reality that has become everything and is being everything and more.

You have equanimity of mind because you are anchored in the depths of your own Divine Greatness. When based in your own Divine Greatness, you can walk on stormy seas.

Yet, there is more. This is a mystical tradition. In this tradition the Guru is a Shaktipat Guru who gives Shaktipat initiation. Gurudevi is such a Guru. Shaktipat initiation awakens your Kundalini, the Divine Energy within you.

This empowers you to attain the highest goal of human life — knowing your own Divine Greatness, your own Self. This is Grace. When awakened by the Guru, Kundalini climbs your spine from tail to top. She is the mystical force that is the energy of your own Self-Realization, as described in the Sanskrit text, Shree Guru Gita:

You should perceive your joyous Self

Through the gift of Guru’s grace.

This is the Guru’s proven path

Where Self-Knowing shines from within

— Sri Guru Gita verse 110 (1)

It is the gift of Guru’s Grace that raises me up to the knowing of my own Divine Greatness. You can receive this gift as well. Meet my Guru online or in person. She wants you to know your own Divine Greatness, your own Self.

(1)Rendered by Swami Nirmalananda Saraswati

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Live a Yogic Life!

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By Amanda (Purna) Schmidt

Plan your yoga-year with our “Living Mysticism 2024 Calendar Journal.” The title is a wonderful promise for the year ahead.

Each day has its own dedicated page with a quote from Gurudevi. In these pages, you will find space for organizing your day. In addition, blank space leaves room for journaling and other creative expressions.

Keep this compact book with you on the go. It will help you bring yoga’s teachings into daily life. Stay inspired all year to live a yogic life.

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From “Not Enough” to Abundance

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By Swami Satrupananda

“I want this. I need that. I don’t want this. I don’t want that.”

Want, want, want. Need, need, need. Your mind churns over your desires. Again and again, it reviews what or where or how you are lacking. It’s exhausting both mentally and physically. And worst of all, you too often live your life based on an assumption of “not enough.”

What if you lived your life based on the assumption of enough or — better yet —abundance? The reality is that you are likely amongst the more fortunate in this world. You have Internet, you are literate and you have your basic needs met. This gives you the opportunity to focus on your spirituality. What if you saw the abundance in your life and wanted what you have?

There are many well-known gratitude practices to cultivate a different mindset. You can have a gratitude journal or jar. Our Ashram Staff meetings end with a gratitude moment. Each person shares what they are grateful for. These psychological practices can be powerful for changing your mind’s perspective.

Yet yoga approaches it differently. While psychology changes the content of your mind, yoga targets the source of the problem. Yoga looks at why your mind is thinking those thoughts. You want things because you feel incomplete, empty, not enough and/or alone. Yoga cures this feeling.

How? By revealing to you the fullness and completeness of who you truly are. When you feel like you are lacking something, you are not experiencing your true Essence. When you are being your true Essence, you know and experience that you are full and complete.

Yoga practices are designed to reveal to you the fullness that you are. Over time, the yogic process that you go through fills you up from the inside. You know this from your yoga practices already. You do poses or breathing practices and then feel calmer, more satisfied and at ease.

This is because you are experiencing your fullness on the inside. You learn to live in that fullness all the time. Then you see this same Essence being everyone and everything around you. Living in the fullness of your Essence, you don’t need anything on the outside. You don’t want or need anything to make you feel full.

D.r.s.tha-anu”sravaka-vishaya-vit.r.s.nasya vashiikaara-sa.mj~nyaa vairaagyam

— Yoga Sutras 1.15

Your mind becomes free from all desires, for externals and for things promised in the scriptures, giving a state of complete freedom and ease.

When you don’t want things, you gain great freedom. Your mind no longer churns over your desires. This frees up a tremendous amount of mental energy. With your thoughts changed, your words and actions also change. Instead of being a slave to your desires, you are free.

This freedom also includes the freedom to give more, love more and do more. With actions, thoughts and words motivated by getting something, you are limited by what you can do. You are limited by your focus on what you can get. When you are full, you are looking at what to give. Your capacity grows. You have great freedom. It’s the best way to live.

My favorite way to experience the truth of these teachings is by repeating mantra. So many times, I’ve turned to mantra when I have been caught up in my desires. I repeat mantra. Sometimes, it’s for just a few minutes. Sometimes it takes longer. And, without fail, the mantra fills me up from the inside. The mantra reveals my Self to me.

The fullness of my Self leaves no room for desire. Then the same external circumstances look completely different to me. Being full on the inside, my heart overflows. I am looking at what I can give. I care and I want to help. When you fill up from the inside, then you love more as well as care more. You are fully and effectively engaged in the world.

In the sutra above, the Sanskrit word vairaagyam is often translated as non-attachment or dispassion. This can lead to a misconception that you must distance yourself from the world. But it’s the opposite really. Filled up with knowing your own Self, you are freed from neediness and desires. An abundance of love and caring fills you. You stay engaged in the world so you can give from this abundance.

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