Announcing a New Book, Shri Mahayogi’s Words of Truth, in Japanese

The Mahayogi Mission in Kyoto has published a new book, Shri Mahayogi’s Words of Truth, as of November 23, 2022, the day of Satguru Jayanti.

We would like to express our gratitude to Shri Mahayogi, who has been endlessly and indiscriminately pouring out the Truth with his words and through his existence, all of which we see culminating in this great gift to humanity, which will live on for many centuries.

We would also like to express our gratitude to all the gurubai who have been involved in this work in Japan, New York and Taiwan. Through us all being united under one mission, may we be able to bring light to this work, and pass it on into the future to come.

Its design is beautiful and unique, and everything from the jacket to the inner cover, to the feel of the paper, as we thumb through the many, many pages, hints at its depth and the breadth of its content, while at the same time conveying a sense of warmth and pristineness.

This book, which is currently only available in Japanese, is over 500 pages long and collects teachings given by the Master to seekers over decades of Satsangha. There are 16 chapters with sub-sections within each, containing the wholeness of teachings, from the secret of living to the truth of the mind and the world, to asana, to meditation, to diet, to daily practice, to the secret of the macrocosm and microcosm, to religion and society, to Sacred Existences, and much more.

Below, please let us introduce the message given on the occasion of Satguru Jayanti 2022, by Madhri, our sister gurubai in Kyoto who has been closely involved in many aspects of this publication, especially as she was one of the two main editors, and she also worked on the design. Because of her involvement and how much she has witnessed of the process of the creation of this book, including the tremendous work put into it and supervised by Shri Mahayogi, we feel her words give the most proper introduction.

      Speech given by Madhri
at the occasion of Shri Mahayogi’s Jayanti on November 23, 2022

While many people around the world eagerly await the opportunity to hear the words of Truth spilling out of Shri Mahayogi’s mouth, Shri Mahayogi’s Words of Truth is published. I am thrilled that we can all share in this joy on this auspicious day. We, all the disciples, would like to express our sincere gratitude to Shri Mahayogi, who supervised everything from editing to binding, to book cover design, for your devotion to this project that we have received.

This book is the culmination of Shri Mahayogi’s more than 45 years of preaching. The project started about ten years ago. It had been several years since the publication of Satori, and The Universal Gospel was sold out. Shri Mahayogi hoped for, “the next, new publication, as soon as possible, since there is a wealth of Satsangha records.” Truly, we apologize for keeping you waiting, and we thank you very much for waiting such a long time.

When the book was nearing completion, Shri Mahayogi said, “This is the definitive book of Yoga, the likes of which have never been seen before.” I am confident that this book will be a tremendously groundbreaking book in the history of Yoga. Not only are the core teachings of Truth within this book, but also all of the great depth of Yoga is woven in to the fullest. I feel that this book proves that the existence and teachings of the avatara and yogi, who have given a ray of hope to humanity, and all the essence of the scriptures compiled since ancient times, are harmonized through Shri Mahayogi’s experience and way of life. Furthermore, I believe that it shows the universality of Yoga, which Shri Mahayogi has pioneered alone in this land of modern Japan, and the very fact that Shri Mahaoygi is an exceptionally rare person, a true Guru, is amply evident in this book.

Shri Mahayogi says, “All the scriptures say only two things: Renounce ignorance and pain-bearing obstacles; and that God, Atman, Brahman, is the only Truth.” In order to communicate that to us, how much he has done to help us… For over 500 pages, I’m astonished!

The words of Shri Mahayogi, full of inspiration, rich in emotionally fine sensibilities, and like a powerful and beautiful melody with fine sensitivities, stir our minds greatly and transform them in an instant.

By reading this book, we will feel that we can never give up on seeing the glorious goal that lies ahead on this path. Because no matter how difficult the situation may be, through Shri Mahayogi’s words of Life, tremendous Love and Grace flow throughout our entire bodies, and we will be filled with the power to stand up again and again no matter what difficult situations come our way.

This book, Shri Mahayogi’s Words of Truth, was able to be completed because of the energy of Sananda and many other gurubai, and above all, the guidance and devoted service of Shri Mahayogi. When editing, we received very careful detailed consideration from Shri Mahayogi. The records of Satsangha around the world over the past twenty years since 1997 have been compiled, but in order to make it more universal without limitations in time and space, the dates, place, and names of the questioners are deliberately not included. Shri Mahayogi also carefully considered the content of the teachings so that the readers could understand and practice them correctly, rather than just reading for curiosity’s sake. Shri Mahayogi read meticulously through the enormous amount of text over and over again, many times faster than people read.

At the end of the book, there is a glossary, and graciously, Shri Mahayogi wrote it in its entirety. The terms used in Yoga are brilliantly, concisely, and clearly explained.

I heard that Shri Mahayogi was in an intense state of concentration during the period he was working, and he sat at a desk from early in the morning until late at night.

In addition, we originally wanted to make this book into a luxurious bound design, as a very special commemorative edition. However, Shri Mahayogi wished that it would not be commemorative, but rather, to make it as affordable as possible for everyone, and for the book to reach as many people as possible, he even reconsidered the estimates many times, overturning all the design and layout that had been envisioned, and rethinking them from scratch again. Even when choosing which paper to use, he spent a considerable amount of time and energy.

To be able to hold such a precious book infused with so much soul and life that Shri Mahayogi has breathed into it, is a great, great joy.

We will surely read the book with joy, forget ourselves, lose sight of the time passing, and immerse ourselves in the words of Shri Mahayogi. And we will surely feel that all the answers we’ve been seeking and searching for are here! However, we shall never be satisfied with merely understanding the answer intellectually. As Shri Mahayogi says many times in the book, we become the teachings themselves. For the inside of this body to be filled with the Truth alone, from which the limbs, words and all of our actions are expressed, we are required to hone our minds, confront each and every word uttered by Shri Mahayogi, and make these words our own by actually walking the path.

I believe that to become the true embodiment of Shri Mahayogi’s Words of Truth is our precious mission as Shri Mahayogi’s direct disciples who are holding this book in our hands.

It is also a great blessing that the completion of this book has forged the way for souls who will seek Truth forever into the future. From now on and into the future, we would like to deliver this book to as many people as possible, without interruption. This means that to draw in new souls, and connect with this Mahayogi Mission, that is His Existence and His Mission forever—I feel that this is an important role for us.

Shri Mahayogi has provided new wind with this Shri Mahayogi’s Words of Truth. I hope that our enthusiasm will further strengthen the momentum and create a big wind inside and outside of ourselves. The more we read this book, the greater that urge will be bound to grow.

We will open our eyes to the Truth, this world, and the future, and in this limited time, we will fulfill the words of Truth of our dear, Beloved Guru.

Lastly, we would like to express our gratitude and highest respect to our brother Sananda, the chairman of the Mahayogi Mission in Kyoto, who left his body due to illness just ten days before this book was published. He was one of the two editors of this book along with Madhri. Many disciples might have the impression of him as a gentle person, but he had an indomitable spirit within. His aim to realize Atman from a young age and throughout his life until his last breath, was ever steady and his complete dedication to Shri Mahayogi and the Truth are definitely alive in this book. During his illness, he said that if he would be able to live more, then he would offer his body completely for the work and mission of Shri Mahayogi. Shri Mahayogi’s trust in him was rock solid and he was respected highly and loved by all the disciples who had met him. His presence is greatly missed, but we will carry on his spirit, which he left for his brother and sister disciples, and through that, he lives on.

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Talk at the End of the Asana & Meditation Class
Friday, May 27^th 2022

Beginning with Raja Yoga, for Loving God

“I will be able to do these things, no doubt”—this was my reaction to Raja Yoga, by Vivekananda, when I read it for the first time after starting to practice asana and meditation with Mahayogi Yoga Mission; so, I really did not put too much effort, but instead, I tended to believe, “I will be able to do it naturally” or “I am trying this already.” My approach was very dreamy, and self-serving in a way.

As years passed, at some point, I began to think the opposite, that raja yoga was actually something that is very challenging—methodical and demanding—and that it required a lot of constant attention, which is something I did not have or I was not so good at. I tried to put effort toward the practice of it, yet my efforts were inconsistent, fluctuating between periods of trying hard sometimes, and not trying at all, trying one way sometimes, and quickly switching to some other way without persisting on the first way. Consequently, I could not deepen my understanding of these practices or experience enough of an effect to change the way my mind functioned. And I lost enthusiasm, and rather, continued to struggle back and forth greatly.

It was not that many years ago, that I received from Anandamali, “Where There is Love, There is God,” a book of teachings of Mother Teresa of Kolkata, and unexpectedly, something changed completely. I felt as if something wiped away all thoughts, and all that occupied me was the overwhelming feeling of loving God in the form of vibrant and joyful gratitude. This also included a feeling of acceptance of what I had received from Shri Mahayogi. It was as if the block that was causing resistance to loving and being loved was crumbling down—I had never in my life experienced anything like that. This experience made me arrive at the conclusion that loving God is the only happiness that exists, and from that moment on, “loving God” became my aim; my only happiness, what I want to pursue happily and willingly.

Now, the reason why I mentioned about raja yoga is that even though my aim suddenly became clear, nonetheless, as time passed, the feeling of being filled up by loving God, and even of wanting to be filled up by loving God began to wane; and this made me realize the necessity of practicing raja yoga, so that the mind can return to my aim over and over. Raja yoga is to control the mind, it is the work toward establishing the foundation of a steady and tranquil mind, so if I don’t do this intentionally, or if the mind has not learned to function in a way that would be able to sustain this beautiful Love, it is very likely that it will end up where it was before—cluttered and feeling vulnerable, filling up again with the many unnecessary thoughts that occupy the space for loving God.

Recently I have been thinking about the yama (actions in relation to others) and niyama (disciplines in relation to oneself), and I understand that these practices seem to have the purpose of turning thoughts, words and actions toward harmony and respect, both in relationship to oneself and to others, because they help turn the mind toward a more loving way—a way that considers God, or the Truth, as the guide for living. Also, I am beginning to recognize asana is medicine that uses the physical body to restrain the mind and pranayama is medicine to control the prana through the breath; when taken correctly and regularly, these medicines bring the mind toward a type of calmness that cannot be easily affected by triggers that typically direct it otherwise. I feel that through asana and pranayama the mind is shown, without one knowing exactly how, what it means to be closer to God, the perfect Stillness. And, although when I spoke after class, I did not have such a clear sense of what pratyahara meant, and I referred to it as remaining uninvolved or unaffected by ideas or matters that are not God or the Truth itself, I later clarified within myself and began to think that pratyahara, the practice of controlling the senses to the point of becoming undisturbed by the mind’s biased likes and dislikes, must have a very important role in keeping the mind from being distracted from the simplicity and serenity that Shri Mahayogi describes as the essence of God or the Truth.

Anyway, what is different now, and the most important part for me, is that for the first time I feel the need to practice raja yoga for a specific reason and with a purpose that moves me from within: to cultivate loving God. And for that, I need to clear my mind from self-driven ideas and wants that can easily return if I go through daily life without remembering my aim, without acting from the longing for that aim. I really want to prevent my mind from filling itself up with what is not God, or the Truth. For this reason, I would like to remember always, and to act relating my thoughts, words, and actions to my aim of loving God. I truly feel that this is the beginning.

~Karuna

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Talk at the End of the Asana & Meditation Class
Wednesday, May 18^th 2022

Making a Leap of Faith Towards Yoga

Here in NYC, the sangha has been meeting online for the past few months to study Seeking Truth: Memoirs of a Yogini, by Mirabai, a disciple of Shri Mahayogi who lives in Kyoto. Although originally from Osaka, Mirabai moved to Kyoto, after practicing Yoga for some time with Mahayogi Yoga Mission, in order to deepen her practice by living with gurubai. Over the past two weeks, we have been reading and discussing the chapters of the book that describe this experience and what she learned from it, as we try to understand more and more deeply what we ourselves can learn from her journey towards Yoga.

Toward the end of the meeting, Anandamali asked Sadhya to speak a little bit from her own experience about what she has found to be the difference between the experience of living with gurubai and living alone. Sadhya shared that when living alone, even if one may be trying to live according to what Yoga teaches, the mind’s actual understanding of what Yoga teaches and what living according to It may look like is often very limited. In fact, everything we understand may only be within the realm of our own mind-world and imagination, according to pre-conceived ideas and notions, and it may be difficult to recognize simply, straightforwardly, and practically how the teachings of Yoga can become the base of everyday actions, in a real way. In living with gurubai, you get to encounter a new world that is not just filled up with your own thoughts, habits and ways of doing things. What you can learn opens up much beyond that, and you have opportunity to expand your view in ways you might not come up with on your own…even if that relates to incredibly simple things.

With that as the base, Sadhya mentioned about the importance and value of being able to learn from a senior disciple’s experience in Yoga, becoming aware of things about ourselves and about all kinds of other daily life things that we may not understand or easily notice when we are living alone, due to of being caught up and dominated by one’s own mind-world and having a hard time to bring ourselves to consider much beyond that. And of course, underneath almost all conversations is the base of the teachings of Yoga and the aim of carrying out the work of Shri Mahayogi, of the Mission, and so on; there is always a shared sense of purpose and along with that a great deal of inspiration. Listening to her speak, I began to think seriously about whether I too would like to live in a sangha house myself.

In the past, when I have sometimes thought about living with gurubai, I always imagined someone coming to live in my apartment with me. That’s because I have quite a lot of space, pay significantly less than a normal NYC rent, and have lived here for more than 20 years. In any case, whether with gurubai or not, I have long assumed that I would live here for the rest of my life. However, realistically, my place is not even close to ideal for setting up a sangha house. If I really want to do that, I will have to move.

At first, my mind reacted strongly against that idea: That’s crazy! Impossible! How could I possibly give up this space now? (I won’t go into all the reasons why here, but from what most people would probably consider a “practical” perspective, this would seem like a ridiculously misguided plan.)

But when my mind reacted that way, I couldn’t help but remember that in so many Testimonies in Pranavadipa and even in episodes from Seeking Truth, it is anything but uncommon for the mind to scream “That’s impossible!” when first considering trying to put the teachings of Yoga into actual practice. When I started to look more closely at exactly what I thought was so impossible about it, what I started to see, under a thin veneer of false “selflessness” (If I leave now, the apartment will lose its future rent stabilization status. If I move to another neighborhood, it will make it so much more difficult for the co-owner of my dog!), was my own comfort and convenience (I would probably have a much longer commute! I’d have to adjust to a new neighborhood and a new routine! I have so many memories and possessions of loved ones who are gone here that I would have to leave behind!).

But I could see that those were just attachments and aversions to worldly things that my mind believes are part of what makes me “me”. And if I keep clinging to them, allowing them to determine how I’m going to live, I’m not going to be able to make any real progress in Yoga, no matter how much asana I practice or how much I can make myself sit for meditation. And I am not young; I don’t have all the time in the world.

So therefore I felt the need to return to the first, most important question for a seeker: What do I REALLY want—to keep hemming and hawing, thinking I’m practicing while not really making a commitment or taking a risk…or to fully jump in and try with all my heart to live in Yoga? What do I TRULY believe the significance of Shri Mahayogi’s existence is, and how can I honor the incredibly precious gift of having personally met a Holy Being, receiving a spiritual name, and being allowed to have access to the authentic teachings of Truth directly from the lips of a Satguru, a Paramahansa? In all of human history, how many people can say that they have had this rare experience? How many have ever truly had even the slightest chance to experience ultimate Reality? And how many get to participate in the work of protecting, preserving and helping to make sure those incredibly precious gifts can be properly transmitted to others in the future, who may not have the opportunity to personally meet Shri Mahayogi?

The number must be infinitesimally small, out of all the human beings who have ever been born.

I began to feel that the time has come. Shri Mahayogi and Anandamali have been waiting patiently for so many years for more gurubai to take the leap of faith necessary to carry the Mission forward. I cannot depend on others to do it; if I truly want to grow in Yoga, and if I truly want the Mission to survive for future generations, I must prepare myself now to be a bigger part of making it happen, sincerely and without reservation; because I am one of that infinitesimally small number, I have to take it as my own responsibility.

There is also something that I have learned from listening to the experiences of senior disciples, reading their Testimonies and studying Seeking Truth, and that is that even though my mind may get blinded by the fear of losing what it imagines I may give up, it cannot begin to imagine what I will receive through that very same giving up. But whatever I can or cannot imagine, I can recognize that the things I will have to let go of, I am already destined to lose, no matter how tightly I grip them, while the things that I can gain through a much deeper and more committed practice of Yoga can never be lost—not even to death itself. Recognizing it is the first step, but to make it meaningful, I have to follow through with action:

“The teachings of Yoga or Buddha are not intellectual exercises at all—they are a concrete way to get out of suffering; so practicing without applying them and continuously putting them into action is completely meaningless!”
– Shri Mahayogi, Seeking Truth

I do not know exactly how or when these changes may come about. But I have decided to begin to prepare for the opportunity to arise, and to be ready to make that leap of faith when the time is ripe. As Shri Ramakrishna taught to the young Vivekananda, there is no need to fear drowning when diving towards Sanatana Dharma, because its waters are verily the Sea of Immortality itself.

~Prajna

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