Sunday December 7th, 2025

This year the sangha in New York celebrated Jayanti, the auspicious day of Shri Mahayogi’s birth, at our sister disciple’s cozy apartment. Among different activities, we viewed a few short video clips of Shri Mahayogi coming from some very precious recordings that were taken earlier on in Japan.

In one of these video clips, when Shri Mahayogi was talking about his thought around the time he was in India for the first time, he mentioned that he believed that, “Awakening is not something that is unique to himself and that people are equally equipped with It in the same way, and that this is something that can come to manifest in anyone.”

When Shri Mahayogi made this statement, I was awestruck by it, because of the casual tone and natural demeanor that was emanating from him. I might have heard Shri Mahayogi say similar things before, but somehow, this time it hit me deeply. Seeing Shri Mahayogi say this with such ease sent an invigorating feeling throughout my being, and my mind started to flood with all kinds of thoughts and emotions.

My first thought was that there is no way that somebody can say this with such ease without knowing and experiencing it fully. Then I thought, “how many people can make this declaration?”

Before I met Shri Mahayogi and started to learn Yoga from him, I wasn’t particularly a religious person. Most of the memories I’d had that were related to the potential one has to find the Truth, had to do with everyone being a sinner, and our chance of happiness being only somewhat guaranteed, albeit only after leaving this body and being judged by a God that sits somewhere up in heaven. I do remember reading a few sacred scriptures that said that finding the Truth in this life was possible, and that the Truth is within us; but this time, this open declaration from Shri Mahayogi, that the realization of Truth is something that can happen to anyone, gave me a strong conviction that the Truth is probably closer to us than what we think, and that it is possible for everyone to experience It.

Shri Mahayogi says that we have to listen to the words of Truth, to think about them and then to meditate on the Truth. I feel that he showed me through this experience that the Truth in his words has the power to penetrate through time and space, and that hearing or reading his teachings goes beyond our minds and touches a part of our being that we ourselves are probably not yet in touch with. And just like how the light of a star, which, even without its physical presence being in the universe anymore, continues to touch objects throughout space indefinitely, Shri Mahayogi’s teachings continue to touch our hearts.

By the end of the Jayanti I was filled with joy, and somewhere in my being I felt strongly, and finally acknowledged, that Shri Mahayogi came into this world to show us and lead us back to our natural state again, the state of being one with the Truth.

I am forever grateful that Shri Mahayogi made it possible for us to come into contact with the Truth through his Existence and his teachings, and I will continue to strive to remove any part of my mind that does not let the light of Shri Mahayogi shine and manifest fully, through the whole of my being.

Ekanta

Monday December 1st, 2025

“If you think about what we are celebrating on a birthday, the question is whether it is about the existence of this body, or about living itself. Then, when it comes to “living,” is the meaning of it that this physical body is here, existing in this world, in other words, if the physical body were to be gone, then is there no longer something to celebrate? From around here, one’s wondering goes into the realm of Yoga. … I hope that this birthday, as well as your own birthdays, will become the opportunities for you to think about what exactly dying and being born are; celebrating is not simply and only about the existence of this physical body, but rather, it is about living itself—the meaning of Life.”
—Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa to those who had gathered for the occasion of celebrating Jayanti, November 23, 1993.

 

Shri Mahayogi,

Not a moment passes when you are not using your thoughts, words, actions, the entirety of your Being, and your Life Itself—whether through the beautiful form of yours that we cherish so much, or through your infinite forms that you are beginning to reveal—to clear the clouds from our eyes, to show us that which we could not see on our own and to teach us the One Eternal Truth.

Again and again, you bring our eyes to direct unwaveringly towards the One Eternal Truth, and you encourage us through an unimaginably diverse range of means, to put our feet on the ground and walk forward on the path of Yoga, so that we can come to know, not through being told, but through our own understanding through experiencing, that the One Eternal Truth is not only the very Essence of our own selves, of everyone and of all things, but that it is Pure Joy Itself.

You are truly limitless in your ways of making the Eternal Truth shine in front of our eyes, and of opening our hearts to touch and feel the undeniableness of It.

We bow down again and again at the beautiful lotus feet of Shri Mahayogi. On this joyous and blessed occasion, we are ever-filled with gratitude for your Existence. And our hearts are full, having had the opportunity to offer arati, the traditional ritual offering in celebration of the manifestation of Divine Existence, from the sangha in New York, for the very first time on this most special occasion.

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During this year’s celebration of Jayanti, three short video clips were shared, each capturing a unique and historical moment.

The first was a clip taken on the occasion of the Master’s Jayanti in 1993. The words above are a small excerpt from what Shri Mahayogi spoke on that occasion, encouraging us all, regardless of young or old, near or far, to seriously take up this important inquiry into the meaning of our very own existence. The second was a clip taken from a recording of one of the Master’s classes held in 1995 at the Ashrama; how pristinely the Master was leading his students in the practice of asana! And the third was a clip from 2006, in which, upon being asked, Shri Mahayogi spoke about how and why he came to teach Yoga, after previously having no desire or thought to do so, even opening the second floor of his family home for this purpose.

Testimonies from several of Shri Mahayogi’s students were also shared. These testimonies were written mostly during the early 1990’s, the period before the beginning of a new era, when Shri Mahayogi began traveling to New York and elsewhere at the request of seekers from abroad, which also brought new changes, such as Shri Mahayogi accepting that some responsibilities, like asana classes and other activities, be carried out by disciples for their growth, while Shri Mahayogi shifted to primarily concentrate on Satsangha and supervising all activities and disciples. Through these testimonies from an earlier era, we can glimpse and feel how Shri Mahayogi was during that time. But one thing that is absolutely clear is that, no matter how the world has changed, his message remains the same, no matter what. Throughout all these years and even now, he continues to preach the same message.

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On this occasion of Jayanti, it was a blessing to be able to catch these different glimpses of Shri Mahayogi, both in the testimonies of his students and in such rare and precious footage that was shared—to see his expression, his mannerisms, his way of interaction, to hear his words of Truth, to feel his presence, and to learn more about some of the anecdotes that make up the rich and colorful tapestry that has been woven through his presence and Existence—surely our hearts are renewed and the flames have been stoked for us to walk the path of Yoga ever-more seriously and sincerely.

For those of us who have touched the life and breath of Shri Mahayogi, through our own transformation and experiences of concretizing Yoga more and more, let us become the living proof of Shri Mahayogi’s Existence and carry forward the Mission of reviving the Universal Yoga based on the Eternal Truth, Sanatana Dharma, that Shri Mahayogi devoted the entirety of his Being and his Life to convey.