Echo from The Cave:54

Mon May 8th, 2017 05:45 am, NYC

EDITOR’S NOTE: Pranavadipa Vol. 30

View from the Prema Ashrama, Kyoto

The day of the Flower Festival is
the day of the Buddha’s birthday festival…

***

In Celebration of
Sanatana Dharma Avatara Mela
—The Grand Ceremony of the Manifestations of Divinity—

April 8, 2017

Reception of Sanatana Dharma Avatara Mela at the Prema Ashrama

Sanatana Dharma Avatara Mela

The sound of OM filled my ears, filled my heart and reverberated throughout my very cells. This was the beginning of the Puja and the opening of Sanatana Dharma Avatara Mela. Approximately 72 disciples and devotees from Taiwan, New York and from all over Japan were gathered in the open room of the Prema Ashrama and some were overflowing into the entryway. Anandamali sat next to me, exuding overwhelming joy as the sound of these few male voices, interspersed amongst the attendees, filled the space with a tone of sacredness that was palpable.

It wouldn’t be until later that I would learn from Yogadanda, who was sitting right in front of me at the feet of Shri Mahayogi, how much devoted and dedicated practice had gone into the chanting and offering of OM over the course of years, how much it had transformed his understanding of the self, and how he had come to experience the OM as Shri Mahayogi himself and the essence of all things living and non-living. In that moment, all I could do was experience and bow down in reverence with my heart.

 

I am sure that many of you, like me, have heard before of the great khumba mela that take place in India. I first read about these in Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda and remember that it was during one of these great gatherings that Lahiri Mahasaya encountered the most revered Master, the deathless Guru who rarely reveals himself, Mahavatara Babaji, the one who initiated Lahiri Mahasaya into kriya yoga.

When I first heard about Sanatana Dharma Avatara Mela, I wondered what kind of a gathering this might be? The word mela alone brought to mind the great gathering of yogi in India, where many attend just with the hopes of encountering a true Guru, or perhaps Babaji himself. The words Sanatana Dharma Avatara, however, firmly grounded my peaked imagination into a more concrete purpose than simply a gathering of yogi with hopes of spiritual gain. Sanatana Dharma, simply put, refers to the Eternal Truth. And Avatara refers to an incarnation of God. Avatara throughout the ages have included Babaji, Krishna, Buddha, Jesus, and Shri Ramakrishna, just to name a few. This mela is more than just a gathering, it is an occasion meant to honor and celebrate the existence of the Avatara as well as their great mission, to establish and re-establish Sanatana Dharma today and throughout the ages. How unique and rare is this gathering!—There is no need to hope to encounter a Master—the Great Yogi, Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa, is alive right now and sitting before us! There is no need to hope to receive the teaching of Truth. The teaching has already been bestowed upon us and Shri Mahayogi continues to teach us through every moment of his existence!

As part of the celebration, seven disciples offered a speech to Shri Mahayogi, three of whom, the main speakers, were selected by Shri Mahayogi for having embarked concretely on the mission of establishing Sanatana Dharma. In the moment, I could not understand the words that they all spoke, since, of course, everyone spoke in Japanese, but I could not help but feel the sincerity and nakedness of each one’s heart. Words are secondary to the power that the alignment of the heart behind them holds. Each one’s words were charged with emotion. Tears, laughter, radiant joyous smiles and moments of silent reverence were flowing abundantly from beginning to end. Without a doubt, every attendee present was invigorated by the precious opportunity to be with Shri Mahayogi and was filled with joy and urgency alike as each of these seven disciples demonstrated with their words and with their hearts their true commitment to and passion for living their lives according to Sanatana Dharma, for carrying on Shri Mahayogi’s great mission, and that of all Avatara, through their own concrete actions and through the pure joy they have experienced through walking this path.

I couldn’t help but feel that if we open our eyes and look closely, if we open our hearts, then we can see the Avatara himself manifesting Sanatana Dharma through the lives of his very own disciples. Each one is different, yet each one shows yet another form of the infinite forms of the Avatara!

 

In last month’s volume of Pranavadipa (Vol. 29) the contents centered around the meaning and significance of the Avatara and what the mission of Sanatana Dharma really is. In this month’s volume of Pranavadipa (Vol. 30) you can read the speeches offered by two disciples for the occasion of Sanatana Dharma Avatara Mela. They are both truly inspirational. If you open your heart, there is no doubt that you will feel inspired by their sincerity of practice and their demonstrated passion for passing on Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Truth, to as many people as possible. And, through their examples, I hope that we can all find the hints and clues that will lead us to establish our own lives more deeply in Sanatana Dharma.

Sadhya

Sadhya

***

Sanatana Dharma Avatara Mela was held at Prema Ashrama, the new Ashrama of the Mahayogi Mission! The speakers were as follows:

Introduction of Avatara:
– Sananda

Main Speeches:
– Anandamali
– Shachi
– Anandi

Additional Speeches:
– Sharanya
– Satya
– Chaitanya
– Gopala

MC: Sananda and Madhuri

Anandamali on the right, Yogadanda in the center

Shachi

Anandi

Sharanya

Satya

Chaitanya

Gopala on the right

 

 

Disciples from Taiwan: Marula, Priya and Radha (from left)

Our Beloved Shri Mahayogi!!!!!!!!!!!!

“From pure Joy springs all creation, by Joy it is sustained,
toward Joy it proceeds, and to Joy it returns.”

-Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa

OM TAT SAT, OM!!!

 

Echo from The Cave:53

Wed Mar 8th, 2017 06:17 am, NYC

EDITOR’S NOTE: Pranavadipa Vol. 28

Sincerity in practice and the pure faith of Yoga will surely lead to the direct experience of the Truth. This message resonates throughout this month’s issue of Pranavadipa as Shri Mahayogi responds over the course of several Satsangha (between 2015 and 2016) to the genuine and honest questions of a group of mothers from the Prema Yoga Circle who have been practicing Yoga under his guidance.

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Prema Yoga Circle

The Prema Yoga Circle was started in September 2013 in Osaka by three disciples who were naturally brought together by the same goal. These three women—Nirmala, Suditi, and Ms. Suematsu—are all mothers and all are seeking the Truth, even as they fulfill their familial responsibilities. It was about five years prior that they met Shri Mahayogi and began to learn Yoga. And in fact, it was through learning and actually applying the practice of Yoga into their lives, while working hard doing house-work and raising (small) children, that they experienced their mind and body being uplifted and becoming lighter. They truly felt the greatness of Yoga in daily life, and out of their hope to share Yoga with others, they initiated these activities.

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Nirmala (Ms. Hamaguchi)

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Suditi (Ms. Akasaka)

The members of the Prema Yoga Circle meet once a week to practice asana and meditation in a communal residential space for one and a half hours during a weekday morning. Since last year, they have also met for Bhakti Sangham (kirtan class) four times a year, led by Mirabai. And in addition, they meet twice a year for Yoga Talks, in which they occasionally invite a senior disciple to share with them, or they share and discuss their experiences of bringing the teachings of Yoga into practice within their daily activities as mothers and householders.

In reading the questions that the mothers ask Shri Mahayogi and following the nature of their conversation, one can feel the simple sincerity with which they yearn for the Truth and with which they proactively seek to put Shri Mahayogi’s words into action in whatever way they can, no matter the circumstance.

But perhaps most inspiring is the Testimony, which is the Jayanti speech offered to Shri Mahayogi by Nirmala, just this past November, 2016. Nirmala speaks with clarity about her ideal and how she wishes to truly live established in karma yoga and bhakti yoga. In her words come the true testimony of the practice! We can see through Nirmala’s practice, and the understanding that she has gained through her own experience, the result that has come from sincerely applying the teachings that Shri Mahayogi spoke during the various Satsangha leading up to that moment!

Her Testimony is our testimony—that anyone in any circumstance can practice and attain Yoga, as long as we really practice concretely with passion and a sincere heart.

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Prema Yoga Circle

 

Pranavadipa is a Monthly Publication of Online Study Material containing the Teachings of Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa & the Experiences of Practitioners that is available by annual subscription. A new volume of Pranavadipa is issued on the 8th of every month.

PRANAVADIPA

Echo from The Cave:52

Sun Feb 26rd, 2017 5:00 pm, NYC

ANNOUNCEMENT:
At the invitation of disciples,

Shri Mahayogi will be in Taipei from March 17th to March 24th!

Today, in honor of this special occasion,
we published the trailer of our DVD, In The Cave With The Master,
with subtitles in five different languages.
(Spanish/Español, French/François, Romanian/Română, Chinese/中文, Japanese/日本語)



Lynn met Shri Mahayogi for the first time during a visit to New York in the summer of 2013. After returning to Taiwan, her passion to learn under Shri Mahayogi grew strongly, and she began to hope to one day invite Shri Mahayogi to Taiwan.

A sincere heart and real passion always reach and move others!
Gradually more people started to join her in her practice of Yoga and in her efforts to invite Shri Mahayogi to Taiwan.

Shri Mahayogi has received and accepted their pure heart and their wish to introduce the Universal Teaching of Truth in Taiwan.

Schedule of Shri Mahayogi’s visit to Taipei:

Satsangha (100 minutes)

March 18 (Sat) 2:30 pm at  JOYFUL LIVING / 心悦人文空間
March 21 (Tue) 7:30 pm at  JOYFUL LIVING / 心悦人文空間
March 23 (Thu) 7:45 pm at  SPACE YOGA

Special Class—Asana and Meditation (120 minutes)

March 19 (Sun) 2:30 pm at  JOYFUL LIVING / 心悦人文空間
March 22 (Wed) 2:30 pm at  JOYFUL LIVING / 心悦人文空間

For information in Chinese, please check Taiwan Sangha’s blog
For general information in English, please e-mail us

OM TAT SAT, OM!!!

 

Echo from The Cave:51

Wed Nov 23rd, 2016 4:00 pm, NYC

DEDICATION:
On The Day Of Satguru Jayanti

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Beloved Shri Mahayogi,
Great Yogi,
Babaji !!!

It is through your grace
that we are blessed with the precious gift of being in this world alongside our Master.
It is the purity of your Truth
that resounds within us and around us, carefully guiding our footsteps.
And it is you who is the light that sparks our hearts and lifts the veil from before our eyes! Thank you very much for your endless compassion.
We bow down in celebration, on this day of Jayanti,
at the blessed feet of the Holy Guru,
our beloved Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa!

 img_0048Messages to the Master from disciples in the U.S. were delivered to
Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa at the Ashrama in Kyoto, japan
during the Ceremony held in honor of
Jayanti
&
the 40th Anniversary of the Mahayogi Yoga Mission in Kyoto.

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Tonight in New York,
To celebrate and honor Jayanti,
the auspicious day that marks the birth of our beloved Master,
Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa,
we will practice an extended meditation together for 1 hour
during our regularly scheduled Wednesday class at Still Mind Zendo.
We will have a short asana practice before a 1 hour meditation.

All are welcome to attend!
We look forward to seeing you then!

Jai, Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa, Jai!!!

 

Echo from The Cave:50

Sat June 18th, 2016 9:15 pm, NYC

GRATITUDE:
The Universal Gospel of Yoga:
The Words of Sadguru Śrī Mahāyogī Paramahaṃsa

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Jai Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa!!!
Sat June 11th, 2016 at 2PM,
the book release event for the third edition of The Universal Gospel of Yoga,
the spoken words of our master Satguru Sri Mahayogi Paramahansa,
was held at Integral Yoga Institute.

 

OPENING:

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Kamalakshi opened the event,
The Universal Gospel Of Yoga in her hand.

After greeting the audience, she read “The Aim of Life” from The Universal gospel Of Yoga with her full and resounding voice, thus setting the tone by immediately establishing the seriousness and clear purpose of the gathering:

“Be still and know that I am God.
God is the Truth within one and all.
There is no need to seek it in some far away place—It is nearest here and now.”
—Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa

 

PERFORMANCE:

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“Salutation to the Glorious primal Guru, Shri Adinatha,
who instructed the knowledge of hath a yoga
which shines forth as a stairway
for those who wish to ascend the highest stage of Yoga,
Raja Yoga!”

—from Hatha Yoga Pradipika

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Reading: “The Time For Meditation” 

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ANECDOTES:

DSC00469Kamalakshi vivaciously shared her story of the special occasion when Shri Mahayogi came to the home of her two mothers, Mammy Tess (mother – 80 years old) and, Mammy Love (her aunt 85 years old). There was always constant fighting between these two strong characters. Her aunt would say, “When I talk, no dog bark! I must have respect, I am the elder!” Her mom would say, “Tree grow come catch tree, I am an adult!” Kamalakshi couldn’t handle them anymore, and asked Shri Mahayogi what to do. Shri Mahayogi said he would visit.

The day came. Kamalakshi introduced them to Shri Mahayogi as a yogi pastor. Mammy Love kept talking and telling stories to show how strongly she practiced being a Christian in her life, and in the back, Mammy Tess was behind her saying quietly, “Don’t listen to her…!” Shri Mahayogi let them go on talking, until the moment came, that Mammy Love finally said,

DSC00472 “I am tired of talking…”

Shri Mahayogi finally spoke, and thus the teaching of “The Truth of Love” in The Universal Gospel of Yoga was born. He delivered the teaching directly to them as they listened in silence and awe.

 

DSC00476It is not everyday that one finds that he has lived most of his life in a prison created by his own mind. It can take years and lifetimes just to discover that simple fact. Through the blessings of Shri Mahayogi and The Universal Gospel of Yoga, Ekanta explained how, after years of struggle, the words of The Gospel brought him face to face with his own mind and its various attachments to the world. He came to understand that these attachments only brought him suffering, and that by applying Shri Mahayogi’s teachings from The Universal Gospel of Yoga “in our daily lives using our bodies and minds” we can set ourselves free. Although Ekanta is tied to this prison of the mind’s creation, he now knows that he can start digging himself out by using the  teachings of Yoga that he has been blessed to receive from the Master.
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It is not easy to recognize for yourself that you have become dependent on the approval of the people around you, allowing the desire to be accepted to dominate your every decision. Sadhya shared that it was the daily practice of asana and meditation along with regularly reading The Universal Gospel of Yoga that allowed her to first catch a glimpse of the source of the pain that she had been trying to escape from for so many years. The following words from the Gospel helped her gain strength and clarity of mind, and came to be her constant guide: “The real work is for the realization of the Self. Pay no mind to what others think of you, just deepen the search for the Self.” She spoke about how the opportunity of working on the editing of The Universal Gospel of Yoga allowed her to understand more deeply the immense value of the teachings and true aim of Yoga—to become completely free of all the mind’s attachments and creations. Sadhya is very thankful to have experienced much transformation in her life as a result of the grace of Shri Mahayogi and the guidance that The Universal Gospel of Yoga provides.

 

Q & A:

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A woman asked how quickly The Universal Gospel of Yoga might impact someone’s life.

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 Aniruddha answered candidly that the teachings go into the heart and slowly begin to make sense only as you apply them in your daily life.

 

CLOSURE:

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Kamalakshi thanked the audience on behalf of the Mahayogi Yoga Mission for holding the energy in the space and for allowing us to share the readings with them. Then she joyously announced that our master, Shri Mahayogi, would be arriving in NY next week for a 3-month long visit!!!

 

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Since the beginning, the publication of the new edition of The Universal Gospel of Yoga has been a journey which has brought sangha together to work for a common goal. The public launching of the book gave us an additional opportunity to work together even more closely, pushing us to put our faith and trust in the Master. It is as if he is what holds us together, teaching us throughout the process itself.

We are all immeasurably grateful that Shri Mahayogi is guiding us in every moment. We bow to the Master and thank him for The Universal Gospel of Yoga.

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AFTER THE EVENT:

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On the way back to the Cave…

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PREPARATION FOR THE EVENT:

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 Yasoda repaired the Sahasrara Chakra Mat at our Sangha house in Astoria.

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Ekanta and Nandi built the screen.DSC00421

 *

IMG_0115We rehearsed during our class time.

JAI JAI JAI JAI JAI JAI JAI!!!!!!!

SATGURU SHRI MAHAYOGI PARAMAHANSA KI JAI!

 

 

Echo from The Cave:49

Tue May 24th, 2016 5:31am, NYC

CELEBRATION:
The long-awaited revival of
The Universal Gospel of Yoga:

The Words of 
Sadguru Śrī Mahāyogī Paramahaṃsa,

now in print once again and available in its newly-translated third edition!

DSC00354On the way back to the Cave from the printer~~!
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CONVEYANCE:
BOOK EVENT
~Book Release of The Universal Gospel Of Yoga 3rd Edition~
• Performance • Readings  • Anecdotes  • Q&A
Sat June 11th 2pm – 3pm
(Door will open 1:50pm)
At the Heaven Room, Integral Yoga Institute New York
227w 13th St, NYC (Bet 7th & 8th)

You are all invited!!!
Please arrive 10 minutes before the event begin!

 

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Pranam to Our Revered and Honorable Guru,

Sadguru Śrī Mahāyogī Paramahaṃsa

We are filled with joy and gratitude to announce that the day has finally come to present to you these precious jewels – the Sacred Words of our Revered and Honorable Guru, Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa!

To mark this joyous occasion we will have the opportunity to present The Universal Gospel of Yoga at the Integral Yoga Institute of New York, and all are invited to attend. The presentation will consist of a short performance, readings from The Universal Gospel Of Yoga and anecdotes offered by three sangha members about different aspects of The Universal Gospel of Yoga.

It has been quite some time since the decision was made to re-translate The Universal Gospel Of Yoga in 2012 when the supply of copies began to dwindle. And after nearly four long years, during which The Universal Gospel of Yoga was essentially out of print, we feel compelled to humbly apologize to our Guru that it has taken so long to complete the editing process and thus enable his words to reach the countless hearts who have been yearning for these teachings of Truth. With the release of this new edition we aim to ensure that The Universal Gospel of Yoga will be available to all who seek the authentic teachings of Yoga for many years to come.

To convey the excitement and enthusiasm that we feel at finally being able to announce this momentous occasion, we would like to share an excerpt from a speech given by Anandamali during Jayanti, the annual celebration commemorating Shri Mahayogi’s birth at the Mahayogi Yoga Ashrama, on November 23rd 2013, in which she spoke about the sangha in New York and expressed the depth of her emotions toward The Universal Gospel Of Yoga and the editing team that was working with her on this new edition.

“… … Currently in New York, although there is only a handful of staff, we are working on the final stages of editing The Universal Gospel Of Yoga, which has been fully retranslated. Once again, through the process of this work, I have become keenly aware of and recognized all over again the awe-inspiring state which Shri Mahayogi embodies and the perfection of the words that Shri Mahayogi speaks, constantly chosen from a permanent state of razor-sharp, absolute discrimination that is beyond even time and space. Shri Mahayogi’s words are always delivered from the state of Truth, so if we derive our understanding of their meaning from the perspective of the mind’s view, the meaning can wander off on its own. May we be ever vigilant in protecting your Pranava at all costs. The words of Truth uttered by the Awakened Ones are truly alive. The words themselves are breathing and glistening with life. Unless the seeker knocks on the door, and then faces the test that awaits as we examine ourselves and gauge our seriousness, unless the seeker seriously seeks for It, and unless the seeker dives into the depths of the ocean to find the precious pearls for themselves, the teachings of Truth will not be revealed. In the words given by Shri Mahayogi, even though the words may not appear to be direct answers, there is a meaning that is hidden there that we need to dive in and penetrate in order to uncover.

Yoga, in its original form, can only begin after one’s mind is prepared for religious awakening. The same can be said of the internal initiation Shri Mahayogi assents to give to his disciples. The mind of religious awakening is the unshakeable resolution and the unfailing determination to stake one’s life on Satori. Without a doubt, every single task in Yoga ought to be carried out with the same indomitable spirit. In undertaking this work, the completion of the third edition, I feel that the quality of the translation of The Universal Gospel Of Yoga has finally reached an acceptable level. Although it is only a small handful of members, I am so grateful to inform you that I have been tackling this project with a team of marvelous comrades who share with me this sublime ideal of leaving behind these records of the teachings of Shri Mahayogi, my Beloved. With our guiding belief that the task in which we are engaged will yield a book that will serve as a Bible that will be read by a massive number of people for many generations to come, we carry out this work with a great sense of responsibility. Perhaps, ten years from now, when our understanding has deepened and we find ourselves in a different state, then further depth might be revealed, but I believe that the work we have done is of the highest quality that we are able to bring forth at this stage.

I feel that at this moment, we are getting ready to send out your dear child, whom You have graciously bestowed on us to raise, and who has now grown up and is getting to the point where this dear child can walk by himself, toward the light. One day, when we are all gone, Your words, which will have been translated for all, will continue to shine on forever. … …”

-Excerpt from a speech by Anandamali on the occasion of Jayanti 2013

 

 

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  OM TAT SAT, OM!!!
JAI SATGURU SHRI MAHAYOGI PARAMAHANSA KI JAI!!!!!!

 

***

 

Scenes of the Editing Process
Summer 2015, at our Sangha house, Astoria, NY

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We would also like to mention Matthew and his involvement in our work. Although he has been living in Croatia for twelve years, he is one of the main editors of the MYM in NY. In spite of being far away from his motherland, the United States, and physically separated from the sangha in New York, The Universal Gospel of Yoga was the powerful vehicle that kept his heart connected with Shri Mahayogi every day for several years. When he left for Croatia in 2004, he took a copy of The Universal Gospel of Yoga with him. Of course, he had no idea that one day he would be fully involved in the project of editing the new edition. But over those years he developed a strong love for The Universal Gospel of Yoga and that can be seen in how wholeheartedly he dedicated himself to this work.

imgoMatthew’s daughter Prema was born while we were working in August, 2015.

 

Jai Our Dearest Sadguru Śrī Mahāyogī Paramahaṃsa Ki Jai!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Echo from The Cave:48

Sun May 15th, 2016 5:39am, NYC

EXPERIENCE:
NY Gurubai’s Visit to Japan, Winter 2016
and Its Synchronization with Pranavadipa Vol. 17:

Part 8: INTEGRATION

Day 9: Evening

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7PM. Satsangha at the Ashrama.

Every moment of having the opportunity to see Shri Mahayogi is filled with excitement and blessings. Once again, we were so fortunate to be able to attend Satsangha at the Ashrama and to be with Shri Mahayogi one more time before leaving for Tokyo on Monday!!!

When Satsangha began, Shri Mahayogi immediately noticed the T-shirts that Ryan and Aniruddha were wearing and laughed joyously. On Ryan’s T-shirt the word “Disciple” was written in Japanese and on Aniruddha’s, “I am not the way I was before.”

Anandamali reported to Shri Mahayogi about how their stay had been up until that point, and Shri Mahayogi seemed very pleased with the NY brother’s willingness to learn, their spirit of readiness for taking on challenges by adopting the learner’s mind and attitude, along with their discipline to follow the morning schedule at all costs. Taka and Yohei spoke about how they had been witnessing the transformation of their NY brothers, and they expressed how grateful they were to have this opportunity to host the NY brothers and practice along side them. Some gurubhai light heartedly teased Ryan, saying that he seemed to have already lost weight. There was much joyful laughter in the beginning.

Then Nandiswara presented Shri Mahayogi with some words he had written on a piece of paper in Chinese, and asked him to explain the meaning. Some of the Chinese and Japanese characters are the same or similar, so sometimes we can understand one another through writing. The words that Nandiswara wrote were『無一物中無尽蔵』. That day, in the room where Satsangha is always held, a scroll was hanging with a work of calligraphy done by Shri Mahayogi, upon which was written the same phrase: 『無一物中無尽蔵』. Shri Mahayogi explained the meaning of this saying, which is often used in calligraphy in Zen Buddism:

無 = nothing    一 = one    物 = thing

無一物 = No One Thing → ‘Thing’ indicates ‘Pain-bearing Obstacles’ in the Mind.   → the cause of the ‘Pain-Bearing Obstacles’ is ‘Ignorance’.

So, “the Absence of Ignorance and Pain-bearing Obstacles” = “The state of the mind that is empty and transparent”.

 

無 = nothing    尽 = run out; end    蔵 = house → The word ‘house’ indicates ‘the universe’ or ‘space’.

無尽蔵 = Non-Ending Space = The Entirety of Space or the Universe

無一物無尽蔵 = In the Entirety of the Universe there exists one state that is Empty, Void of Pain-Bearing Obstacles = Bliss exists in the state of Emptiness.

CONCLUSION: Make the mind free from Pain-Bearing Obstacles and Ignorance.

Shri Mahayogi always says that the teachings of Buddha and Yoga are completely identical. He explained the following mechanism:

Karma creates suffering in life —tracing back to the cause of suffering→ desire, which is the attachment toward the pain-bearing obstacles in the mind; this is what creates karma.

CONCLUSION: By eliminating ignorance and the pain-bearing obstacles, all suffering ends. True Bliss exists there.

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Ryan asked about how to proceed in the practice of discrimination. He wanted to know if he was approaching it correctly. He explained that he is currently trying to understand why it is that there is even something in his mind that desires. He noticed that this feeling of desire, or the value of an object only exists because he once had something and then lost it. He noticed that his mind only perceives two states: having and not having. Generally speaking, when he is in the state of actually having, there is no awareness, so it is only after the loss of it that he enters into a cycle of desiring similar types of things.

Shri Mahayogi answered that Ryan must go further, examine the issue and discriminate whether the object of that desire is eternal or not, whether it is universal or not. By doing so, he will recognize the mechanism of the chain of desire that the mind itself creates based on specific conditions; and therefore truly realize that these are not the Truth. And what’s more, he will recognize that it is a mistake to attach to things that are not the Truth. This is discrimination. If he comprehends the essence like this, then the mind will become detached from that desire—that is renunciation.

Nandi then asked how to know whether an intuition is correct or not.

Shri Mahayogi answered that it goes without saying that practicing asana and studying the teachings of Yoga is a precondition. And that it is especially important to discipline oneself in yama and niyama so that one’s thoughts, words, and actions would not contradict one another. Through continuous practice, the mind transforms and its nature becomes the quality of sattva, and through having its nature be the quality of sattva, correct intuition comes. That too is about training. By continuously training one’s thoughts, words and actions to correspond to an intuition or that first flash of thought, the mind will ultimately stop generating all other unnecessary thoughts. By practicing this diligently, intuition will come precisely in the moment needed.

Satya mentioned that she has a habit of sometimes letting her mind wander, and she knows that she needs to practice mauna at that moment. She asked for confirmation that by practicing to make the thoughts, words and actions correspond to one another, that the condition of ‘being empty’, or the original condition, would increase.

After confirming that Satya was correct, Shri Mahayogi added that the word ‘empty’ in Japanese is written as 空(sky; void; empty), but in Sanskrit, ‘empty’ is sukha, which also means ‘easy‘, just as sukha is used in sukhasana (sukha-asana), commonly known as ‘easy’ sitting position.

It was fascinating to hear that the word ’empty’ has a connotation of ‘easy’, as a profound metaphor lies within this association. Shri Mahayogi never ceases to amaze us with his depth of knowledge and ability to see beyond the surface!!!

With this addition, Shri Mahayogi pointed out exactly what 『無一物無尽蔵』is all about!!!!

In the Entirety of the Universe there exists one state that is Empty, Void of Pain-Bearing Obstacles, meaning that Bliss exists in the state of Emptiness.

By eliminating ignorance and the pain-bearing obstacles, all suffering ends, resulting in the state that is Easy and Empty, where True Bliss exists.

 

*

At the end of Satsangha, Aniruddha spoke on behalf of the NY brothers to express their gratitude to Shri Mahayogi:

“Shri Mahayogi, we can’t thank you enough for having us. I am quite sure that on this trip the three of us have truly learnt a tremendous amount from the gurubhai here. And the fact of the matter is, we saw a lot that we still need to process. And I guess, just from speaking between us, we can see what a life changing opportunity this really has been. We just hope that we can take this spirit back with us to the NY sangha and really try to help it grow toward this, toward what we have experienced here, in some way. We gratefully hope that on your next trip to NY, we can really offer to you a very warm welcome. Yes, we gratefully look forward to seeing you in New York.”

Shri Mahayogi responded with a huge smile,
“Thank you. That is good. I am so glad. I look forward to seeing you in New York again.”

 

Jai Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahamsa Ki Jai!!!

 

 *

There was a congenial atmosphere after the Satshangha. Everyone’s face was shining.  As people began to leave little by little, some moved to the side and began participating in a MYM work meeting.

We wished we could have stayed there forever. But it was time to turn the page and move on to the next chapter; to work towards being able to show the proof of our growth for the next reunion with our beloved Master in New York.

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(The day continues… )

Echo from The Cave:47

Tue May 10th, 2016 5:44am, NYC

EXPERIENCE:
NY Gurubai’s Visit to Japan, Winter 2016
and Its Synchronization with Pranavadipa Vol. 17 & Vol. 18:

Part 7:
The Meaning of ‘Practicing In Real Life’ With a Concrete Aim,
and Its Application in Discrimination

Day 9: Morning & Afternoon

カーリー神Kali at Satya’s altar in Yoga Vihara

On Saturday morning, Aniruddha came to Yoga Vihara to investigate a loud noise he had heard that sounded like some animals running around. Sometimes this happens somewhere in the area between the ceiling of the ground floor and the floor above, and they have been having this issue for quite a while, which is especially common in old houses in Kyoto. Aniruddha is a professional, well-experienced exterminator who uses only natural pest-control products, and after studying the problem, he concluded that there were no rats there but most likely it was a weasel. Yogadanda and Satya, who live at Yoga Vihara, figured that a weasel wasn’t harmful, and so they decided to leave it be.

We had a full day scheduled that day: Asana and Meditation class in the afternoon and Satsangha at night. In order to stay on schedule, Satya prepared an early light lunch. Anandi, who stayed over the night before, was also present.

Now that there were only a few days left in Kyoto before they returned to New York, Aniruddha started thinking more seriously about how he would integrate some of the key lessons he was learning into his regular practice when he got home. The conversation naturally turned to diet, an area in which he was open to any possible improvements.

He does not cook often but he would like to improve his dietary habits. He said that the problem was that due to the fact that his job is very irregular, he finds himself unable to maintain a regular schedule for eating lunch and dinner. His schedule changes from day to day depending on his clients, the locations and the time. He treats several apartments per day, so he travels from one place to another by car, but the situation is such that he often finds himself in areas where he cannot get a decent, vegetable-based meal, so he ends up grabbing something quick rather than eating a real lunch at the proper time. Hearing that, the Kyoto gurubhai responded that he should bring his lunch box with him, because in this way he can have lunch whenever he is able to and he won’t need to look for a place to get a decent meal. Inside the lunch box could be sandwiches or pasta, or even a soup, or something left over from the night before. He could even plan to cook dinner with an extra portion for lunch the next day. Aniruddha responded that he did not bring leftovers because he cannot warm up the food. He said, “I like my food hot.” That answer surprised everyone. Because it was not about his struggles in organizing his time or his schedule, nor was it about his skills or the content of the meal, but it related to his personal preference. Generally, if we are asked whether we would prefer to eat a meal hot or cold, almost everyone will answer that warm is preferable. But what we were discussing had nothing to do with these kinds of situations. If Aniruddha was seriously concerned about his dietary habits and really concerned about controlling the timing and content of his daily meals for the purpose of conditioning his asana and meditation practice, then any concerns about whether the food is warmed up or cold should not bother him.

(Satya, when she was asked by Aniruddha on Saturday night (Day 2) at Shanti Kutira when she came after the Satsangha how she managed to establish regular practice at the beginning, answered that since she moved into Yoga Vihara, where Yogadanda and two other disciples were living and practicing asana and meditation daily, she naturally followed that example, so it was not difficult at all.)

She witnessed for eight straight years how Yogadanda would manage to make time for his daily practice of asana and meditation by disciplining himself not to have dinner at all, but to have breakfast and lunch in greater amounts in order to sustain the physical body, which, after all, is simply a vessel for Realization. In Yogadanda’s case, he had the clear goal of realizing the Truth, so he made his decisions based on that:

I want to realize the Truth. → For that, to deepen the practice is a must. → For that, the practice of asana and meditation is indispensable. → For that, I need to practice them daily.
CONCLUSION: In order to sustain my daily practice of asana and meditation, I can’t eat dinner due to the schedule of my job.

Whether he was eating dinner or not, was not of concern.

(Note: Mr. Shimada skips lunch and practices asana at lunchtime at his job for the same reason.)

By clarifying and making one’s goal concrete, one’s action can change naturally. If one determines to practice of asana and meditation daily, it is natural to plan one’s daily schedule accordingly, including the practice of dietary habits. When she heard Aniruddha’s answer, she thought that his action was not based on having a firm or clear and concrete goal, but rather it was all left up to random choice. If the goal is vague, no matter how we try to suggest some ideas, it does not serve much purpose. So then she said to him that if having a hot meal is what he wants, then that is ok; he can think about how to get that. She then asked him, “But what do you want really?”

 Yogadanda's lunch prepared by SatyaYogadanda’s lunch box prepared by Satya

 

*

(Note: Yogadanda practiced asana for about 10 years, up until the point when Shri Mahayogi told him to stop. Once he had a high fever from a bad cold and, remembering that Shri Mahayogi had said that asana practice is ineffective when one is at the peak of a bad cold, he decided to see for himself by doing halasana. In so doing he discovered that it is true—all it did was make him nauseous. Out of those 10 years, that was the only day that he did not practice asana that he can recall. He says that even if there were days when he he did not practice and cannot remember having not practiced, the number of days would surely be fewer than five.)

 

*

POSTSCRIPT:
 To conclude the conversation

Satya contributed the following thoughts based on her experiences from her practice:

The aim can be realizing the Truth, uniting with God—although it is necessary to think with much more seriousness and in much more realistic terms, and that might relate to timing (for the real serious yearning might be different to different people.) However, it is truly easier to grasp your ideal and put it into action if you have a more concrete, detailed idea of what you are aiming for. Then it can be broken down and measured against our daily actions. For example, it can be as simple as the “discipline to practice asana and meditation daily.” Or if you are seriously concerned about dietary habits, the discipline to cook at home daily and stop eating out. It is natural that these concrete aims can vary according to one’s specific life situation. Whatever your choice might be, if you think about how you spend your day for the purpose of reaching your ultimate goal, you realize that there are actually many situations and points at which you must make choices one by one. For instance, let’s say that someone gives you a snack or a sweet, you can make the choice of declining it or having it later. Let’s say that you determined to cook at home every day and not eat out or order take-out. You are invited by someone to have a meal, or you see or find foods that you are drawn to or curious about and you want to buy them… At that very moment, recalling your concrete goal, and then making your choice based on that, is the actual first step of the practice of discrimination.

Through repetition, making such choices in your daily life clarifies your goal more and more. Consequently, the shaft of light that is Yoga or Truth (your faith in Yoga) grows and eventually matures. At the same time, you will gain self-confidence. When that shaft of light gets stabilized and becomes firm, then you will be able to discriminate when disturbances arise in your mind.

You might not have given much thought to these matters, and I do not know how you have practiced up until now, but if you really want to be able to discriminate as you said, I would suggest that you repeatedly practice discrimination using these daily situations, events and interactions as opportunities for practice. Then you will be able to apply discrimination when you face bigger issues more smoothly.

 

*

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From 2PM, there was an Asana and Meditation class led by Shantimayi and Dharmini. This weekend was the special weekend that the monthly Satsangha with Shri Mahayogi at the Ashrama would be taking place, as well as Siddha Marga the next day, so there were many disciples who had travelled from Tokyo, Matsuyama and other areas. The class was packed, and filled with a condensed energy by everyone in attendance. Shantimayi checked everyone’s asana very precisely. It was a wonderfully energetic class.

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In the end, Shantimayi said that Yoga is not only the practice of asana, and that she has been taught that actually disciplining herself in the practice of yama (abstinence) and niyama (observance) in daily life, and making the corresponding actions with her body (action), mouth (word) and mind (thought) are the most important practices. She said that the result of your practice of aligning action-word-thought in daily life manifests in asana practice. And that she understood by her practice that unless you establish the harmony of ‘action, word and thought’ the completion of advanced asana would not be achieved. She added that if one acquires a good foundation in basic asana practice, it will surely lead to meditation, and therefore establishing that base is very important.

Shantimayi asked the NY brothers about their impression of this class. Nandi started to speak, and he said that rather than speaking about this class he would like to express his gratitude for this entire trip to everyone. He said that this trip was quite challenging because he had to come face to face with his own issues, but he was so grateful to have had this opportunity and he felt so determined to continue to work on himself and deepen his practice. Ryan said that he was amazed that they could see in him more than what he could see in himself, and he was so grateful for everyone’s hospitality and support. Aniruddha said that it was a life-changing experience, and that he never lived his life with the ultimate goal at the center, but now he understands the purpose of living, and that his view toward asana practice has changed as a result. He also expressed his gratitude.

_MG_4854Ryan (弟子 on his T-shirt ‘disciple’) and Asanghan

*

After the class, Taka and Aniruddha went to Ganesha (the residence of Kinkara, where many meetings take place) to speak with Asanghan, who had travelled from Matsuyama, and ask if he could come to Yoga Vihara after the Satsangha that night. Asanghan was in the middle of a work meeting with Sananda and all the gurubhai from Matsuyama, but he came outside the house to speak with them. At first, Asanghan hesitated to accept the request because he had a prior engagement, but their persistence persuaded him to change his schedule.

 

(The day continues… )

*

Pranavadipa 18 is up and the topics in the Satsangha are in synchronization with these conversations! Please read, reflect upon them carefully, and turn them into action!

*****

Pranavadipa is a Monthly Publication of Online Study Material containing the Teachings of Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa & the Experiences of Practitioners that is available by annual subscription. A new volume of Pranavadipa is issued on the 8th of every month.

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Go to Information 

Echo from The Cave:46

Sun My 8th, 2016 3:30pm, NYC

EXPERIENCE:
NY Gurubai’s Visit to Japan, Winter 2016
and Its Synchronization with Pranavadipa Vol. 17:

Part 6:
Practice Concretely In Daily Life Using Yama And Niyama

Day 8: 

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Friday morning arrived with the feeling of rejuvenation in the air. The three brothers all said that the visit to the public bath the night before had paid off, and they were fully restored and reinvigorated.

To start the day off, we accompanied Yohei to his workplace, the Sakura Home-Aid Service in Arashiyama, travelling first by bus and then by train. Taka came with us as well. Yohei is registered to work at this social service center and has been working there for about 5 days a week for three and a half years. He attends to around seven clients per month and serves 1 to 2 clients each day. His work is to support them when they go out to do various activities, to do housework, and to help them with their physical care, either at the Sakura facility or during home visits. Yogadanda also works at the same location.

Sakura is both an agency that provides social and home aid services and serves as a residence for people with disabilities. It was originally founded by three people, Mr. Takahashi, Ms. Makino and Mr. Horie, and we were fortunate to meet all three of them during this visit. One thing that is unique about the Sakura residence is that it is a not an institutional looking home, it is a house that is architecturally barrier-free and the residents can actually live in private rooms and enjoy a comfortable standard of living. There are also opportunities for them to work right there on-site as full time employees. One of the founders, Mr. Horie, uses a wheelchair to get around, and so the concept of Sakura was developed with a firsthand understanding of the challenges faced by people with special needs, both in an emotional and physical sense, and also in the context of their place in the society as a whole. It is common for people with disabilities in Japan to work at specialized community work centers, where they can do various jobs to engage in society and support themselves, but the pay is extremely low and it is barely enough to live on. Unlike the typical work center, Sakura offers an environment where people with special needs can work and earn a proper income if they have computer skills or other useful talents. Currently, there are five people with disabilities who work there, and there are three who are living in the housing facility, one of which is Mr. Horie himself.

At the request of Mr. Takahashi, Yohei has been offering an Asana and Meditation class once a week since last August. The class was begun because Mr. Takahashi wanted to try asana and meditation in order to improve his own health, as well as take care of the helpers at Sakura in order to prevent or heal their chronic lower-back pain, which often arises as a consequence of their hard work.

When we got there we could see right away how friendly Mr. Takahashi and everyone else was, and how eager they were to welcome this unique group of visitors. The attendees at the class that day were the three founders, one of the attendants and one staff member who herself was wheelchair user. They all practiced in silence with the brothers from New York as Yohei led them. There was great harmony in the class, and the people from Sakura and the brothers from NY were mutually inspired by each other’s dedication and sincerity. We hope that they will continue and discover for themselves the power of asana and meditation practice, going further into the journey of searching the Self and for real Freedom.

IMG_0564Mr. Takahashi, one of the founders of Sakura(second from right)

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After that, Mr. Takahashi invited us to have homemade soba (buckwheat noodles) for lunch, along with Mr. Horie and his helper, at a place nearby. This gave the NY brothers the opportunity to see how soba noodles are formed.

When he was in junior high school, Mr. Horie was diagnosed with a physically debilitating condition that will worsen over time. He seems to be a charismatic, very intuitive and artistic thinker. 
Mr. Miyaji, Mr. Horie’s attendant that day, was bringing food to Mr. Horie’s mouth. Again, it was a meaningful experience to see Yohei’s work firsthand, and it was also a great discovery to learn about Sakura and the worthwhile mission to which they are dedicated. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to really get to know these three founders, but from the little bit of interaction we did have with them, we could feel that they were truly flexible, open-minded, and blessed free spirits!! And what was most noteworthy was that they demonstrated their beliefs in their actions, which is something that we, as aspiring yogi and yogini, strive to do in our daily lives as well. We are truly grateful to have had this experience, thank you so much for letting us be a part of Sakura, and hopefully our paths may cross again someday!

20160205_135422Mr. Horie, one of the founders of Sakura (front)
Mr. Miyaji, Mr. Horie’s attendant (right) and Aniruddha

*

After we had said our goodbyes, Yohei went back to work and we headed off to the center area of Kyoto with Taka. This afternoon would be the last chance to pick up a few souvenirs to bring back to New York, as our trip was nearing its end.

During our visit to the center of the city, Aniruddha and Ryan got themselves special T-shirts, which you will be able to see in the photos in the next blog (Echo 47).

 

*

Taka and Yohei had to work the nightshift that night, so we went to Yoga Vihara for dinner, which consisted of a special ramen (noodle soup) that is a well-known dish from Yogadanda and Taka’s hometown, Fukuoka. (Yogadanda and Taka are brothers.) Kripalu and Anandi were also there. Anandi had travelled from Matsuyama, in Ehime prefecture, by long distance bus in order to attend the satsangha at the Ashrama the next day (Saturday) as well as Siddha Marga on Sunday. It took six hours for her to get there from her hometown. There were times that she used to come to Kyoto almost every weekend, but now she comes once or twice a month.

One week had passed since their arrival to Kyoto. And the Kyoto gurubhai knew that the NY brothers’ main theme for this visit was discrimination, how important it is to clarify one’s issue for the practice of discrimination, and how to make one’s ideal concrete in order to aim for the target.

The Kyoto gurubhai were really trying to help the NY brothers grasp the real practice of discrimination in daily life. Yogadanda spoke the following example of his meditation experience.

Years ago, there was a time that Yogadanda was working as a dishwasher at the restaurant in Kyoto hotel. At that time, there was an elder lady who was also working as a dishwasher part time job, like he was, and she had a quick temper. One day, she got mad at Yogadanda for unreasonable things. But that shock curved in his mind as a strong impression. At that time, he had a habitual routine of practicing asana right after getting home from his job, so he practiced asana when he got home as usual. But while he was practicing asana, that woman’s face was there all the time, and he could not get rid of it until he finished all asana. As he sat for meditation—at that time, he was meditating on Shri Mahayogi—the lady’s face was always there, disturbing his concentration on Shri Mahayogi, and she did not disappear. He struggled very hard to try to focus on Shri Mahayogi. He did not know how long he was there in this condition, but in the midst of this battle, an intuition came that “I and this lady are the same existence,’ at which point he felt that, “Most likely something happened to this woman that caused her so much stress that it built up within her, causing her to burst out in an attack towards me, who happened to be there.” “I also have the mind that is of exactly the same structure as hers, and I too would burst out at some point if I built up my stress continuously like that.” “I am, essentially, the same existence as she is.” As he felt this, the light shone from Shri Mahayogi, the object of his meditation, and the face of that older lady melted away into light. He said that he was meditating on the form of Shri Mahayogi, but by the teaching of Shri Mahayogi—“Every existence in its essence is the same existence”—discrimination happened within him. He thinks that that was why he experienced this teaching of Shri Mahayogi in his meditation, as well as Shri Mahayogi’s form and the teaching of “Truth is One.” The next morning he went to work as usual. Before this experience, when similar things would happen, he must have felt that he did not want to see that person or even go to work, but there were no such thoughts. Therefore, he dealt with the same older lady neutrally, as normal. Later on, he got long with that lady, and since then he has never been attacked by her for any unreasonable matter. He understood that before she was hard for him to deal with, so unconsciously he had the vibe of “avoiding”, however, through applying discrimination in meditation, he was able to conquer this feeling, and so his vibe changed.

The Kyoto gurubhai began to ask some questions related to these topics. Nandi said that he chose Swami Vivekananda as his ideal Saint. So Anandi asked him more precisely what it was that he likes about Vivekananda, or how he concretely idealizes Vivekananda. She asked him this because at one point she wrote an article about Swami Vivekananda for Paramahamsa. And that experienced caused her to deeply ponder how she could actually bring her way of life and her conduct closer to his mind and spirit. In contrast to that kind of focused inquiry, it appeared that Nandi’s answer was still very general. Satya, who came to Yoga Vihara on their second day after the satsangha and spoke about the practice of discrimination through her actual experience, tried to help them get a better understanding of the process of discrimination that night again. She asked Ryan what he had been discriminating on. Again, Ryan’s answer was somewhat vague, something that could be resolved without engaging too deeply in discrimination. Then Satya asked, “Do you know about yama and niyama?” She asked this because she inferred from what he said that it sounded like he had been observing his conduct in daily life, which is a positive thing. So if he were to apply yama and niyama to his actions and then observe them, what he has already been trying to do can then become discrimination. Ryan said that he knew the yama and niyama, but he has not really been consciously practicing them. So Satya explained that if we practice yama and niyama in our daily lives, consequently, the practice of discrimination, meditation and asana can advance more rapidly. The obstacles in meditation, or the thoughts that arise in meditation, are often impressions that are recorded in daily life, and further, most of them are caused by not being able to be consistent with yama and niyama. That means that if we remain vigilant and pay close attention to our conduct in daily life, we can practice asana and meditation with full concentration, since our impressions will not be recorded in the mind, and therefore thoughts will not arise while we practice them. Some of the yama and niyama may sound very simple, yet if we want to practice them thoroughly and perfectly, it is an extremely difficult practice, as if we are being tested from moment to moment. Ultimately, if we practice making all of our actions and words correspond to yama and niyama, 24 hours of each and every day will become Yoga. And if we can practice observing any one of them diligently, it will end up encompassing the observation of all the yama and niyama.

 

By the way, the meaning of her name Satya is Truth, and it is in one of yama: Satya is Truthfulness.

 

(The journey continues… )

 

Echo from The Cave:45

SAT April 30th, 2016 0:00Am, NYC

EXPERIENCE:
NY Gurubai’s Visit to Japan, Winter 2016
and Its Synchronization with Pranavadipa Vol. 17:

Part 5:
ACT ON FAITH
CONCRETIZE YOUR GOAL
DETERMINE HOW TO ACTUALLY PRACTICE IT,
THEN ACT 

Day 7:

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On Thursday our plans were to spend the afternoon visiting the hospital where Yohei’s friend is in order to participate in some volunteer work there, and then in the evening go to the public bath where Shri Mahayogi used to go when he was a child.

After lunch, Yohei led us to Utano Hospital, located on the west side of Kyoto City. On the way there, near the end of the journey, the roads became full of really steep hills and the ups and downs of the journey made for quite a challenging bicycle ride. When we arrived at Utano hospital we met Yohei’s friend, Toki.

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Yohei has known Toki, who is 19 years old, for one year now, after meeting him through Toki’s friend, for whom Yohei regularly volunteers to take on the role of personal attendant. Yohei first met Toki at a group meeting for people with challenging physical conditions similar to that of Toki while volunteering to attend Toki’s friend. This group had been formed so that its members could come together to connect with each other and create fun activities together. The group outings that were organized provided ongoing opportunities to regularly spend time together and share life experiences. Both Toki and his friend, who was assisted by Yohei, were regularly attending and participating in these community activities. Toki is a very bright and active young man who is one of the central figures of this group, since he created and now maintains their website all by himself, moving the computer mouse with his chin in order to do so. Toki has been hospitalized there since primary school because of his physical condition, and has attended only schools affiliated with this hospital.

Anyway, certainly, it must have been a big surprise for the nurses there when all of a sudden, we strangers showed up as a group, including these tall foreigners. Toki was the only one who knew that we were coming. Yohei introduced us and we then started to clean the area around Toki’s bed in the room that he shared with three other patients. The area for us to clean and organize was not very large considering there were twelve hands, so there was not too much work to be done in that sense. But it was very nice to meet Toki and have a chance to observe and learn directly from the work that Yohei does as a social worker. Yohei was so natural and attentive with him.

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 Yohei, Nandi (from left), Anandamali (behind Nandi), Taka, Toki, Aniruddha and Ryan

*

After that, we were planning to have dinner out at a restaurant but it was early, so we passed the time at a small local café nearby. There Yohei began to tell us about his karma yoga practice. He said that he used to think that karma yoga was the practice of serving the poor or those who are in difficult situations, and so he would sometimes go to Fukushima, which has been deeply suffering since the earthquake disaster of 2011. However, Yukti, who has moved to Fukushima to serve people there by working as a nurse, always told him that he should find ways to continuously serve the people of Kyoto. He did not understand the meaning of what she said, but recently he has started to realize that he was actually making a distinction between superior and inferior work. So now he makes sure that he performs any and all tasks that arise with the same sincerity, whether it be the work of the Mission, his daily tasks, his job, housework or volunteer work.

 

 *

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This local restaurant was the place where Yohei brought up the topic of mauna (spiritual silence) to Nandi by questioning him, What do you consider to be mauna, and how are you actually practicing it?” “Since you have been prescribed this precious teaching, mauna, by Shri Mahayogi, why have you not thought about how to actually practice it? The fact that you are asking me this question—‘How should I actually practice mauna?’—now is so strange in and of itself.” (From Yohei’s article in Pranavadipa Vol. 17.) Yohei was so clear and went directly to the core of the issue. It seems that it finally hit Nandi’s heart very heavily, and at the same time it seemed that something shifted in Nandi at that moment. Nandi immediately became quieter. Yohei not only pointed out Nandi’s issue but he also explained to him by way of an example how important it is to have a concrete goal, and to think concretely about how to attain that goal.

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*

Yohei was so clear and charged up about all of this that he could not finish all that he wanted to say, so we decided to continue our talk after leaving the restaurant. We could have gone back to Shanti Kutira, but since the public bath we were planning to visit was located in between Shanti Kutira and the restaurant where we had dinner, and we also felt it would be more refreshing to talk outside of Shanti Kutira, we were left with no choice but to return to the same café where we had gone just the night before with Sananda.

At the café, Yohei spoke about the importance of clarifying one’s ideal and making it concrete. He asked each of the NY brothers who their ideal Realized Being was. Nandi answered right away that it was Shri Mahayogi. But Yohei said that it is important to have someone as your ideal who started out like us and realized the Truth through great struggle, and then to meditate on him or her. The reason this is necessary is that it is extremely difficult for our minds to concretely grasp the Realized Beings who are at the level of avatar, who were born without karma for the sake of the people that they might awaken into Truth. However, if we meditate on the former level, we will be able to understand and learn from the concrete efforts of those individuals and how they went about attaining the goal.

Aniruddha was silent while he was listening, but then suddenly he said, “I understand now that my faith has been very intellectual, and what I need to do from now on is act on my faith.” When Yohei asked Aniruddha about his ideal, Aniruddha said that it was Vivekananda because Vivekananda is so straightforward, and he receives much courage from that straightforwardness.

Taka was concerned that a lot of the questions that the NY brothers asked were only about how to meditate so far, so then he started to speak about the fact that although it is true that there are some logical instructions that can be given about how to meditate, in the actual practice of meditation, there are only two states: concentrating or not concentrating. Therefore, what is crucial to advance in the practice of meditation is a keen sense of urgency toward the object of meditation. He then spoke about his experience, that sometime back when his object of meditation was not yet solidified, in other words, around the time when he did not understand how he actually wanted to be or what he was keenly seeking, he single-mindedly thought about and investigated first what he was truly seeking and how he wanted to live, regardless of whether he would consider practicing Yoga or not. This took him nearly one year. He realized that there was nothing that he was particularly attracted to in this world and through observing his mind daily, it became clear that the condition of his mind differed from day to day, constantly changing and shifting. He realized that he couldn’t rely on his mind at all. And what’s more, when he reflected on the reason for which he was living so far, he sensed that he was somehow always seeking ecstasy, or bliss, and that he did things or was attached to things by this motivation to taste and experience that ecstasy. He further considered what the ultimate of ecstasy actually was: in Yoga, it is said that the ecstasy, the bliss, continues endlessly, and that there is nowhere that it does not exist—not only that, it is the essence of the Self. He then felt that This is what he must realize, no matter what it would take; he must realize It at all costs. After that, there were periods in which he continued practicing disciplines of Yoga all the while thinking that he would not mind dying if it meant that he would be able to experience that ultimate ecstasy. So, what he realized through that process was that what he senses when the “I” consciousness is fading away, and what he senses in the process of meditating on Existence, Awakened Beings or Saints who have realized that ultimate ecstasy, is exactly the same. After all of that he finally started to understand little by little what he really wanted to realize and how he should proceed with his meditation. Now he is working on that so that he can proceed further.

Then, with the importance of a proper diet for the practice of Yoga, the conversation naturally turned to this topic. The NY brothers re-learnt that vegetables should be the primary side-dish, and tiny fish would not be a problem, but large fish and meats, are not recommended. Ryan asked to hear more about the details of the fish that are acceptable and with what frequency, so Taka spoke about it through his experience. The Mission in Kyoto has been conducting a cooking class called The Kitchen of Samarasa, and it is through this program that the disciples in Kyoto have been learning the spirit and philosophy of dietary matters as well as a concrete way of preparing meals according to the seasons. Taka was almost vegetarian before he started practicing Yoga, so he did not have any issues with refraining from eating meat. However, since it was not something he was accustomed to, meaning he had not established the dietary habits of cooking his own meals at all, he was hungry for this knowledge that would help him form his dietary habits based on the teachings of Yoga. In order to proceed in deepening the practice of asana and meditation, it would be necessary to base his meals on seasonal vegetables, and so he started to cook his own meals right after beginning the practice of Yoga. His mindset was that everything could be a learning opportunity, and therefore he practiced and disciplined his dietary habits in accordance with the teachings of Yoga. Around the time that two or three years had passed in this way, he came to understand the set cycle of the seasonal ingredients and basic cooking methods, and he realized that he had created a set of patterns throughout the year according to what each season necessitated. And it was through the acquisition of this knowledge that he felt that he had naturally come to establish his repertoire or his routine of dietary habits. He used to avoid animal protein at all costs, even the slightest bit, because he was so nervous about consuming it, but nowadays he takes it in a small amount once or twice a year on occasions when socially he cannot avoid it and to the extent that his physical condition does not become affected by it. Now, even though he may take in animal protein on these few occasions, afterwards he simply and naturally goes back to his routine of regular yogic dietary habits, which he has already established well. Therefore, regarding fish, he no longer needs to think about the amount or the size of the fish, because he knows it without having to think about it. Nowadays, he thinks that because he has acquired so naturally through The Kitchen of Samarasa such skills as how to shop, how to time the shopping, and what methods of cooking to use, etc., along with how to manage all of these things, he does not spend much time allowing his mind to think about diet. This is directly in contrast to earlier times when he was thinking a lot about the diet during meditation. He also said that although it is necessary to find ways to practice and to discipline yourself in order to form dietary habits that are in accordance with the teachings of Yoga, that is not the goal; therefore, he constantly tries to remember that he should not confuse the means with the goal.

 

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“Minamoto-Yu”—the public bath where Shri Mahayogi used to go when he was a child. The NY brothers enjoyed it so much that they stayed there for a long time. Aniruddha, who had hesitated to experience it, said, “Now I know why Japanese people love it!” Surely, they all slept very deeply that night.

(The journey continues… )

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POSTSCRIPT:
Two months after the visit of NY gurubhai

Yohei contributed his current thoughts on the blessing that we receive from meditating on a great saint as our ideal, a great saint who started out like us, and through great struggle realized the Truth.

“I felt that there were two blessings:

The first blessing—“your personal issues will be defined.”

I felt that through taking the first step of choosing or finding my ideal being, the motivation to get closer arose, and because of that, when I read the sacred words of the particular saint I chose, I felt that it was not the knowledge or the understanding through the intellect that I received, but rather, I felt that something was resonating within me. Also, by meditating on that particular saint, I experienced some visions that were not written in the book about that saint, or I had experiences of touching the heart and the spirit of that saint. However, these experiences were only in the realm of meditation, in other words, these are mere experiences in meditation. The thought came to me that I need to make what I experienced practical, so I felt that I must act like that saint in reality.

Yet that was very difficult. Through putting their examples into my actions, only then did I realize that I was only imitating the external aspects of that saint, but I did not actually grasp his essence. “What do I need to do?” “What is lacking in me?” I asked. I felt that that realization led me face to face with my personal issues, and it defined them.

It is not so easy to tackle your own personal issues, because you need to look at your negative parts, the parts where you are weak or need to change and improve. But having a concrete goal or an ideal being supports you to raise yourself up and to keep working positively toward that.

It may be a bit off track, but I remember that years ago when I was watching Sumo-wrestling matches, an interpreter said that each sumo-wrestler has their ideal or aim toward the particular wrestler, but the ones who keep making much progress have very concrete, particular and detailed views. For example, they would say, “I like this specific way of how this particular wrestler grabs the mawashi (wrestler’s belt).” So in a way, having such a concrete ideal has brought many blessings and benefits in all kinds of fields.

But still, there is a difference between Yoga and other fields: “the presence of an avatar, the absolute existence”—and that is the second blessing.

When I touched the saint who was not an avatar in the program, Siddha Marga, I sensed that Mother Theresa, Nag Mahasyaya, Vivekananda, they “all lived their lives obeying the divine order of an avatar, the guru.”

Mother Theresa, obeying the voice of Jesus, “I thirst,” went to Kolkata. Nag Mahasyaya obeyed the word of his master, “Practice remaining as a house-holder.” Vivekananda, throughout his entire life, staked his life on fulfilling the words of Shri Ramakrishna, “You must become a banyan tree.”

Over the course of their development, all the great saints carried on with their hardships regardless of the fact that they may have been conflicted within themselves, and all the while they were taking the orders of the guru with utmost seriousness in their hearts, and they accomplished that.

I too would like to live my life obeying the words of my guru faithfully, whatever those words may be, by following the great examples of saints in the past.”