Saturday Dec 22, 2018 NYC

Announcement: Holiday Class in Asheville, NC

If you live in North Carolina or will be visiting North Carolina this holiday season, don’t miss this opportunity! Sadhya will be leading a Mahayogi Yoga Mission Asana & Meditation class in her hometown, Asheville, NC.

***
The Secret of Body, Breath and Mind
To cultivate a quiet mind, unfettered by our ever-changing daily life, is to Be Free!
Come and experience for yourself what the teaching of Yoga has to offer.

Thursday 12/27,     7-9pm
Push Skate Shop:  25 Patton Avenue  Asheville, NC 28801
https://www.instagram.com/pushskateshop/
https://www.instagram.com/brainstormskateboards/

We would like to send our heartfelt thanks to Eric Hunt, a committed community organizer in the Asheville area and owner of a local skateboard company, who has graciously offered the space to hold the class in the back of the local skateboarding shop, Push Skate Shop.

Through the grace of Shri Mahayogi, may the teaching of Truth, touch the hearts of those who are seeking and light the way into the New Year.

Sunday Dec 16, 2018 NYC

What is Yoga?: Yoga is how we live our life

Yoga is lived in our moment to moment. Our practice comes across in the way we speak and in the way we interact with others. Although seemingly invisible, the quiet mind of a practitioner brings others minds to a state of quiet too. And sharing the true knowledge that comes through practice of Yoga is what truly touches others.

The following account is an inspiring example we found in the story of how one disciple of Shri Mahayogi shared the essence of the teaching with others. It reveals how our master, Shri Mahayogi, is inspiring and guiding us. The words that he spoke, as well as the words that Anandi shared, are, no doubt, a message to us all.

*

The Inspiring Story of Anandi in Matsuyama, Japan

Recently Anandi, a disciple of Shri Mahayogi and the leader of the Yoga activities in Matsuyama, Japan was asked to give a speech about Yoga at a gathering for employees of an Income Tax Filing Company who participate in a computer literacy group. She spoke for approximately 50 minutes to a group of about 40 attendees a week after the Jayanti. This group invites lecturers from outside of the accounting field from time to time in an effort to learn new things and broaden their perspectives. Many of the attendees are in their 60’s or 70’s.

After her lecture, there was a shared meal held for the purpose of promoting friendship among the attendees. After the party, when she was talking with the man who made the closing remarks and another man, who was the manager of the literacy work group, the man who had made the closing remarks commented to her that, “This was really the first time that everybody listened to a lecture so quietly like that. But, it was not like we were being quiet out of boredom, but rather, it was like we were being brought into the quiet world of meditation.” Upon hearing it, the manager agreed and said with a huge smile on his face, “I am truly so glad that I requested you to speak here.”

Anandi prepared what she would present for this occasion on her own. And, unlike in the past, she did not ask Shri Mahayogi any questions about it, but rather simply informed him during the Satsangha in November that she had been requested to speak about Yoga at a gathering. When Shri Mahayogi heard it, he advised her by saying: “No matter how healthy one might be, if one dies, then that is the end of it. That is why, the key for what you should speak about there is the meaning of Life and the purpose of why one is born.”

Reflecting Shri Mahayogi’s advice, Anandi spoke at the meeting about the following things:

How true health is the health of the mind, that is to say, the healthy mind refers to the condition in which the mind is calm, the condition in which the mind is filled with peacefulness, how that condition of the mind does not worry, and how in order to gain that condition, it is important to always maintain purity within the mind and emit pure thoughts. How no matter how much fame or wealth we gain, when we die everything will be gone instantly, and the purpose of why we were born is to have a perfectly harmonious peaceful personality.

What is a perfectly harmonious peaceful personality?

In Yoga, it is said that the true nature of human beings is to be filled with purity and love.

She then spoke about:

How she is living her life with firm conviction as she strives to prove exactly that.

 

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There is a word, “Sanatana Dharma,” which means “Eternal Truth.” The word sanatana means eternal and dharma can mean duty, rights, laws, conduct, or virtues, depending on the context. Yoga is actually to practice Sanatana Dharma. That, in other words, means to know our true Self. The reason why we are born on this earth is to know our Self, to know what Life is.

We have heard that after that day, a woman who had attended the lecture came to take the class, and afterwards she expressed her intention to continue.

***

If we listen closely, the flute is being played right now, just like in the painting of Krishna, beckoning our hearts to seek the Truth.

Shri Mahayogi will come to New York in one month from now and we hope that many people will find the moment to quiet their heart and listen to the beautiful and exquisite sounds of Eternal Truth that pour through Shri Mahayogi’s very being.

We hope that many will come to meet him and take this extraordinary, momentous and sweet opportunity that can certainly transform our Life.

Tuesday Dec 11, 2018 NYC

Announcement:
Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa to Visit NY!

We are so grateful to announce
these INVALUABLE and INCOMPARABLE opportunities
to receive guidance on practice from
SATGURU SHRI MAHAYOGI PARAMAHANSA.

*

When walking in a dark forest, we need the light of the moon to show us the way. Or a torch to reveal where the path lies. If we can encounter a True Master to light our way through the world, how joyous it is.
The invitation is yours.

Satsangha by Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa:
Satsangha means “sacred gathering with the Truth.” It is an opportunity in which spiritual seekers gather with Shri Mahayogi, who spontaneously awoke into the ultimate state of Yoga, the One Eternal Truth, at the young age of 8 years old, and seek his guidance. Shri Mahayogi graciously answers from his own experience of this ultimate state all questions that are bound to arise as one strives to live life—from the practicalities of daily life to the intricacies of the inner workings of the mind to the subtle layers of meditation.
February 2 & 23, 2019    3-4:30pm
Location: TBD

Yoga Sadhana Programs Directed by Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa:
This special Sunday program is a great opportunity to learn Asana & Meditation practice for the purpose of Spiritual Awakening. All practices are based on the direct experience of Shri Mahayogi, who began asana practice without knowing such poses existed before and thus came to master both asana and meditation in his teenage years without any external instruction. This is what makes this program truly unique and it is encouraged as a compliment to Satsangha as it prepares the body and mind for meditation and for carrying out everyday activities.
January 20 & 27   February 3,10,17 & 24   March 3  3-5pm
Location: Still Mind Zendo 37 West 17th Street #6W

Please make a reservation, as space is limited.
You can find more detailed information on the Eventbrite site.

Register for Satsangha through Eventbrite
http://ssmp2019.eventbrite.com

Register for the Sadhana Program through Eventbrite
http://mym2019.eventbrite.com

OM TAT SAT, OM!

Monday Dec 10, 2018 NYC

Director’s Note: New Cycle of Pranavadipa Beginning Volume 49

On December 8th, we began a new 12-month cycle of Pranavadipa, our online publication. To start off the new subscription cycle we would like to share with you the words of one of our readers:
“Pranavadipa is inspirational, meaning that it constantly reminds me and brings the mind back to what is important. Also it is a tremendous resource and a place where I can read and try to understand the application of the teachings through the testimonies of the practitioners, who are like me. Also it provides a way for me to connect my mind over and over again to Shri Mahayogi, knowing that every time I read, it is like I am attending a new Satsangha.”

In the first issue of the new cycle (Vol. 49), one of the main topics of discussion in the Satsangha is the direct intuitive knowledge that arises as a result of practicing Yoga, which is unlike any type of knowledge we are commonly familiar with as a result of our educational background or daily experiences. Shri Mahayogi straightforwardly teaches about the importance of proactive discrimination within the mind in order to create the proper condition for this type of knowledge to arise and about how to tackle the issues within the mind so that we can walk the path of Yoga, directly towards Satori (Awakening).

The Testimony in this issue features the congratulatory speech offered to Shri Mahayogi during Satguru Jayanti by Harshani, a disciple living in Tokyo. As she expresses her gratitude towards Shri Mahayogi, the reader also gets a concrete and practical glimpse of how one can apply the teaching of Yoga in everyday life activities and how doing so can bring true transformation.

If you have not yet renewed your subscription for the new cycle, we encourage you to do so. And if you have never subscribed before, we invite you to subscribe this year and discover for yourself what makes Pranavadipa a truly unique and invaluable resource for anyone wishing to follow the path of Truth or for anyone who simply wishes to live and appreciate the preciousness of life to its fullest.

Sunday Dec 2, 2018 NYC

Meaning of the Offering of Arati

Light emerging from darkness—this symbolizes God manifesting in the world.
The offering of light inherently contains the act of humbly receiving that light.
For God becoming manifest, the heavens swirl, flower petals shower down,
and the celestial gods play their heavenly music in joy.
The offering of the mala (flower garland) and of the hymns all symbolize that.

—Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa

    

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During the opening of the Satguru Jayanti celebration in Kyoto, arati was offered. One of the members of the team offering arati, Mirabai, has written about this offering (published in MYM’s bi-monthly newsletter, Paramahamsa, in Japan), and we would like to introduce the translation of this article as well as the Kirtan that was offered.

    

Offering of Arati: The Mysterious Love of Kirtan

Arati is part of the ritual of puja, where a song of joy is dedicated to the descent of the Lord into this world, which is a rare blessing. What an awe-inspiring event this must have been—the formless God taking on form and appearing on earth—even for the gods themselves! How delighted the Gandharva (heavenly musicians) must have been for this miracle and for the compassion of the Lord, that they blared out their resounding hymns! When we offer arati, I personally make the offering of kirtan with the feeling that I am a member of the Ghandarva. Through trial and error for some years, I have continued to try and figure out how to express and share with everyone this deep emotion and Joy for the fluttering down of the Lord, and I tried to find an appropriate song for this. Then one day…

Upon hearing a certain song for the first time, I felt that it might be an appropriate song for arati. The quiet melody of the mantra-filled introductory part, the way the joy flows from it as the phrases repeat, gradually increasing in cheerfulness, and the tone of sattva underlying it all. I thought that if the content of the lyrics were appropriate for the celebration, then I would want to offer this song to Shri Mahayogi. When I asked Sanatana-san about the meaning of the words, he answered that he feels that the lyrics were clearly written by someone who knows God. Wow! And that this song was an excerpt from a scripture associated with the Goddess, Devi Mahatmya, which then turned into a song!

 

The song starts out with a mantra praising the Goddess. Then, it goes into describing the way God, originally formless, gradually manifests in the world, first from the subtle things of this world, such as consciousness and intellect, then develops into the gross things in this world, such as faith and beauty. Further, the song says that that Goddess dwells within all living beings.

Shiva, the male principle and the source of Existence, alone could not have birthed this universe. Everything in its entirety was birthed by the power of the Goddess, Shakti, and continues to be nurtured by her, even now. And that very Shiva and Shakti are One, indivisible.

 

When we were performing this song for Jayanti one year, I noticed that the bell that I was playing suddenly separated from my hand and began to play on its own. It felt like it was not me who was playing, but it was as if it was granted a Life of its own from the Lord, and the bell, by its own will, began to celebrate the birth of the Lord and to dance with joy. And what’s more, how clear and beautiful its tone was, completely different from the tone that I used to hear before! Then it was not only about the instrument, which is a thing, but also it began to reveal that a brilliant Existence abides within us, human beings, in the same way.

Shri Mahayogi’s holy birth, at the same time, means that True Life has been granted to us, to everything—that is to say, it is our birth as well. That Essence is the same as the Lord—it is filled with Eternal Joy. And the Lord and we are One. I feel that the more we get in touch with this song and deepen our singing of it, the more it will reveal and manifest the mystery of the Goddess imbued within it.

 

This year again, we offer this arati for the occasion of Jayanti. No matter how far away you might be, may we etch the song into our hearts, offer it to Shri Mahayogi, and taste it together!

Mirabai

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TANTROKTAṂ DEVĪ SŪKTAM

Namo Devyai Mahādevyai Śivāyai Satataṃ Namaḥ
Namaḥ Prakṛtyai Bhadrāyai Niyatāḥ Praṇatāḥ Sma Tāṃ

Salutations to the Great Goddess (Divine Mother).
Saltations always to she who is ever auspicious.
Salutations to she who is the primordial cause and sustaining power.
With attention, oh, we pay obeisance to her.

礼拝いたします、女神に、偉大なる女神に。吉祥なる女神に、永遠に礼拝いたします。
礼拝いたします、万物を生み出す根源の力、吉祥なる女神に。
全身全霊でつつましく、ああ！ あの方に頭を垂れます。

 

Raudrāyai Namo Nityāyai Gauryai Dhātryai Namo Namaḥ
Jyotsnāyai Cendurūpiṇyai Sukhāyai Satataṃ Namaḥ

Salutations to she who is fearsome, to she who is eternal.
Salutations again salutations to she who is the supporter of the Universe.
Salutations to she who is of the form of the moon, of moonlight, and of happiness itself.

恐るべき女神に礼拝いたします。
永遠であり、白く光り輝く、この世界を支える女神に礼拝いたします。
月の光であり、月の甘露のしずくという姿をもつ、幸福そのものであるお方に、
永遠に礼拝いたします。

 

Yā Devī Sarvabhūteṣu Viṣṇumāyeti Śabditā 
Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namo Namaḥ

To the Goddess who abides in all beings and is called Vishnu-Maya, the Lord’s own Maya,
the inscrutable Power pervading in all things.
Salutations to her, salutations to her, salutations again and again.

すべての生きものにあって、遍在神ヴィシュヌのマーヤーと呼ばれている女神、
その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。

 

Yā Devī Sarvabhūteṣu Cetanetyabhidhīyate
Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namo Namaḥ

To the Goddess who is known as consciousness in all things,
Salutations to her, salutations to her, salutations again and again.

すべての生きものにあって、意識として認められる女神、
その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。

 

Yā Devī Sarvabhūteṣu Buddhirūpeṇa Saṃsthitā
Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namo Namaḥ

To the Goddess, who abides in all beings in the form of intelligence,
Salutations to her, salutations to her, salutations again and again.

すべての生きものにあって、知性というかたちで留まる女神、
その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。

 

Yā Devī Sarvabhūteṣu Śaktirūpeṇa Saṃsthitā
Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namo Namaḥ

To the Goddess who abides in all beings in the form of God’s Shakti, power,
Salutations to her, salutations to her, salutations again and again.

すべての生きものにあって、神のシャクティというかたちで留まる女神、
その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。

 

Yā Devī Sarvabhūteṣu Śāntirūpeṇa Saṃsthitā
Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namo Namaḥ

To the Goddess who abides in all beings in the form of peace,
Salutations to her, salutations to her, salutations again and again.

すべての生きものにあって、静寂というかたちで留まる女神、
その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。

 

Yā Devī Sarvabhūteṣu Śraddhārūpeṇa Saṃsthitā
Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namo Namaḥ

To the Goddess who abides in all beings in the form of faith,
Salutations to her, salutations to her, salutations again and again.

すべての生きものにあって、信仰というかたちで留まる女神、
その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。

 

Yā Devī Sarvabhūteṣu Kāntirūpeṇa Saṃsthitā
Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai Namo Namaḥ

To the Goddess who abides in all beings in the form of beauty,
Salutations to her, salutations to her, salutations again and again.

すべての生きものにあって、美というかたちで留まる女神、
その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。

 

Namas Tasyai Namas Tasyai
Namas Tasyai Namo Namaḥ

Salutations to her. Salutations to her,
Salutations again and again.

その方に礼拝いたします。その方に礼拝いたします。
その方に礼拝いたします。

 

* This arati is an excerpt from the TANTROKTAṂ DEVĪ SŪKTAM, which is also an excerpt from a scripture.