Sunday March 17, 2019 NYC

Krishna revealing his cosmic form to Arjuna

Editor’s Note: Pranavadipa Volume 52

In the famous scripture, Bhagavad Gita, the Lord Krishna said that, verily, it is by action alone that men attain perfection.

This month’s issue of Pranavadipa (Vol. 52) features the first of two precious Satsangha that took place in New York, in January 2019 during Shri Mahayogi’s visit to New York.

We were so grateful to have this opportunity to be in the presence of Master, to be able to ask questions and then receive answers. Every moment with the Master is filled with grace and everything about his being stills the waves of our mind, opens our hearts and allows the Truth that is within us, that is within one and all, to resonate more and more strongly.

The Sastsangha began by the question, “How does one create tapas?” Such a question, with its straightforwardness and directness immediately sets the tone of the Satsangha to one of practical action. As the questions unfold, the reader can sense the sincere desire among attendees to further their practice and to overcome the various challenges they have had in deepening in Yoga.

From beginning to end, Shri Mahayogi patiently offers words of encouragement and reassurance to the attendees that practice is possible, speaking about the concrete practice that needs to be applied in order to overcome obstacles and make progress towards realizing the Self. Shri Mahayogi graciously explains again the basic teachings like yama and niyama and emphasizes the importance of not judging one’s own practice regardless of success or failure, but simply practice with perseverance. He then goes on to elaborate on the meditation that comes from acting in service of others as well as the importance of cultivating fortitude within oneself.

Many topics are covered during this Satsangha, but even so, there seems to be a thread that is weaving everything together. And that thread is ACTION. No matter the practice, no matter the obstacle, no matter the teaching, Shri Mahayogi continues to encourage taking action as the key to it all.

And indeed, reading scriptures and hearing the teaching of Truth is a great blessing, but without actually training our minds and bodies by putting the teachings into practice, we can neither experience the transformation nor the depth of understanding that can only come through the experience of actual practice. Yoga is learned through experience alone. Experience comes through taking action based on the teaching.

Let us all persevere and continue to act, moment to moment, on the teaching so that the content beyond the words that Shri Mahayogi is offering us in this Satsangha will be revealed!

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This month’s Testimony, written by Sadhya, is the experience of one of the asana taught by Shri Mahayogi, simhasana (the lion pose), and what is being revealed through its practice. Just like with the words offered by Shri Mahayogi, the content of the asana that he teaches may be well beyond what we might at first think, or can even imagine when we first begin. But through steady and continuous practice, driven by the fervor to learn the Truth, we can all begin to experience the depth that is contained within.

There is much we can learn from this article: Sadhya’s proactive attitude to learn is remarkable—she continuously devotes to trying to understand the meaning behind what we can see. And this is what leads to that meaning being revealed—the blessings and grace of Shri Mahayogi come with her practice.