Saturday February 16, 2019 NYC
Shri Mahayogi’s Words of Truth Resound in NY:
February 10th Sadhana Program with Shri Mahayogi
“FREEDOM”
Does not everyone seek for “freedom”? No matter what our situation or circumstance, we want to feel “free”! But what does it mean to be “free”?
In the United States in particular we are bombarded with the idea of “freedom”. It is one of the very founding ideals of the entire country. Since birth, we are presented with this ideal again and again. Here, we have “freedom”! Here, we protect our right to “be free”! The idea of “freedom” that is fed to us is the idea that we can say and do as we want, that we can “be” who we want to “be”. And along the way this idea transforms into one in which we strive to create a situation for ourselves where we are “free” to always enjoy, “free” to always get what we want and to have things be the way we want them to be, “free” to be rid of the responsibility we don’t want, and “free” to not have to answer to anyone but ourselves.
But what does it really mean to be free?
Surely, in order to seek freedom, we must do so from a state of bondage. So even though we may live in a country that is “free”, why do we still seek the feeling of “freedom” in our everyday situations? Certainly then, whether we realize it or not, we must be experiencing the state of non-freedom, or bondage. Because of that state, we must constantly arrange the conditions around us to feel that sense of freedom anew. But what is it that causes us to experience that non-freedom to begin with? And who is really the one who is experiencing it?
During the Sadhana Program last Sunday (2/10/19), an attendee who met Shri Mahayogi for the first time one week before, returned again to the class. This time, she came with a bouquet of 24 red roses and offered them to the Master at the end. She, who has been a long-time seeker in her heart, finally found a Master. Her mind had been occupied by her Guruji since then.
“Freedom”—on the packaging of the roses there was a sticker indicating the type of rose. Upon receiving the flowers, and seeing this word on the label, Shri Mahayogi, smiling fully, looked at her and with these beautiful red roses. He then taught thus:
“Freedom—truly this Freedom is precisely the aim of Yoga. You must have always been doing many things in your desire to become Free. (Smiling) But, have you really attained true Freedom? The more you are entangled in this world, as opposed to with Freedom, the more bondage comes. But there is one thing I would like you to remember and take home with you:
That self or “I” that is bound is the mind and the body. And that is not the true Self. The true Self is the Consciousness that has simply seen all these experiences you have had. In fact, there is a Consciousness, the Pure Consciousness that is beyond even the depths of the mind. It is the Eternal Existence that is never destroyed or broken. It is the true Self within everyone. To know that, to experience this is the sole aim of Yoga. This Existence or this Consciousness is itself Freedom. And, there is neither bondage nor suffering in that Freedom at all. And it is filled with Bliss.
Today, you again trained to still your mind and body for some time through practicing asana and meditation for two hours. Your everyday life is too busy. At least for one hour, or even for 30 minutes a day, you should make quiet time—that is what you can do for yourself.
Okay, so then I will see you next week.”
—Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa
February 10, 2019
Flowers arranged by Shri Mahayogi upon returning to the Cave
Let us take and consider these words of the Master. Let us give up the search for the small momentary sense of freedom that we are forever chasing in our daily circumstances and situations, and let us seek for true Freedom, that is filled with unchanging Bliss. As Shri Mahayogi said during the last Satsangha, let’s start one step at a time, simply by making that quiet time to train to still our mind an everyday habit.
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We invite you to attend the next Sadhana Program with Shri Mahayogi, this coming Sunday 2/17 from 3-5pm, and the last special Satsangha (Saturday 2/23) with Shri Mahayogi before he returns to Japan. All the remaining programs will be held at Still Mind Zendo.
Register for the Sadhana Program through Eventbrite
http://mym2019.eventbrite.com
Register for Satsangha through Eventbrite
http://ssmp2019.eventbrite.com