{"id":5939,"date":"2021-04-19T23:51:45","date_gmt":"2021-04-20T03:51:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/?p=5939"},"modified":"2021-05-08T12:37:07","modified_gmt":"2021-05-08T16:37:07","slug":"echo-from-the-cave-155","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/2021\/04\/echo-from-the-cave-155\/","title":{"rendered":"Echo From The Cave: 155"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Monday\u00a0April 19, 2021 NYC<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-5942\" src=\"http:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/\u30b9\u30af\u30ea\u30fc\u30f3\u30b7\u30e7\u30c3\u30c8-2021-04-19-23.40.06-363x500.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"363\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/\u30b9\u30af\u30ea\u30fc\u30f3\u30b7\u30e7\u30c3\u30c8-2021-04-19-23.40.06-363x500.jpg 363w, https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/\u30b9\u30af\u30ea\u30fc\u30f3\u30b7\u30e7\u30c3\u30c8-2021-04-19-23.40.06-768x1059.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/\u30b9\u30af\u30ea\u30fc\u30f3\u30b7\u30e7\u30c3\u30c8-2021-04-19-23.40.06-742x1024.jpg 742w, https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/\u30b9\u30af\u30ea\u30fc\u30f3\u30b7\u30e7\u30c3\u30c8-2021-04-19-23.40.06-624x861.jpg 624w, https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/\u30b9\u30af\u30ea\u30fc\u30f3\u30b7\u30e7\u30c3\u30c8-2021-04-19-23.40.06.jpg 770w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 363px) 100vw, 363px\" \/><br \/>\nEditor\u2019s Note:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pranavadipa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pranavadipa Volume 76<br \/>\n<\/a><\/strong><strong>\u201cTruth Exists Within Everyone\u201d<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pranavadipa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Pranavadipa Volume 76<\/em><\/a>\u00a0was published on March 8<sup>th<\/sup>, 2021. We have already published<a href=\"https:\/\/pranavadipa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u00a0<em>Volume 77<\/em><\/a>, but please let us introduce the content of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pranavadipa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Volume 76<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and some key points below since it is full of great content!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><em>\u201cWhat must be learned in Yoga, is the Truth. What is the Truth? That is nothing but the Truth of yourself, or who the Self is\u2014if you understand the answer to this, then you will understand the Essence\u2026.of all things. According to what Yoga teaches about it, the essence is Pure Existence. There is neither superior nor inferior there; there is no duality there. Everyone is the same, sacred Existence\u2014that is what the Essence is.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>\u2014Satguru Shri Mahayogi Paramahansa\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0February 2015, Kyoto<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Truth Exists Within Everyone<br \/>\n<\/strong>The <em>Satsangha<\/em> of <a href=\"https:\/\/pranavadipa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Pranavadipa<\/em> (Vol. 76)<\/a> contains questions that many of us may be able to easily relate to in the context of the very practical matters of our daily life situations, and they are posed to Shri Mahayogi in a manner that focuses on the way of working to transform oneself in the face of some very familiar common struggles. Though these questions are asked in a way that seeks to find out how we can concretely practice the teachings of Yoga in our daily lives, whether you practice Yoga or not, you will find Shri Mahayogi\u2019s guidance very heartfelt, inspirational and helpful in a way that is practical and can be applied right away. No matter what the questions are, Shri Mahayogi directs us <strong>to see only the Truth, the Essence: Everyone is the same, sacred Existence<\/strong>. <em>The Truth exists within everyone<\/em>!<\/p>\n<p>So now why can we not see this Truth for ourselves, and what should we do to be able to recognize it? Throughout the <em>Satsangha<\/em> in <a href=\"https:\/\/pranavadipa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this issue (Vol. 76)<\/a>, Shri Mahayogi explains that it is due to our mind containing thoughts and ideas that are influenced by memories, as that is the nature of the mind, that we are not able to see it\u2014in other words, that it is because the mind is not pure or transparent. That is where the importance of going through the practice of <em>viveka<\/em> (discernment) between the thoughts or ideas in the mind and the Truth comes in, so that we can firmly understand that the thoughts of the mind are imperfect, and so that we can remove the impurities from the mind\u2014alternatively heightening the purity of our mind\u2014and we can also heighten concentration in order to come to experience this Truth in meditation. And here too, he points out again that we should direct our mind to <strong>see only the Essence:<\/strong> <strong>Everyone is the same, sacred Existence<\/strong>. <em>The Truth exists within everyone<\/em>!<\/p>\n<p>To begin, the <em>Satsangha<\/em> starts off with an inquiry into the differences between meditation and the process leading up to meditation, discernment. Shri Mahayogi, not only answers the questions, but also clearly elucidates this fine-tuned process using the example of the subject of meditation being \u201cexistence,\u201d<a href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref1\">[1]<\/a> and how the process that leads towards true Knowledge, the knowledge that lies beyond the mind itself, unfolds. We are amazed at the clarity and simplicity with which Shri Mahayogi teaches about the subtle realm of the mind, meditation and the source of knowledge!<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\">[1]<\/a> We would like to share one more time the discourse between a disciple and Shri Mahayogi regarding the actual practice of discriminating on the subject of \u201cExistence,\u201d previously published in <em>Pranavadipa Vol. 3<\/em>, either on the blog or in an upcoming issue of <em>Pranavadipa<\/em>, since it seems that many of us have found difficulty in moving forward with the practice of discernment.<\/p>\n<p>The question and answer then turns from these very subtle layers of the mind to the practical matters of daily life situations, such as the struggle that arises from traumatic events or relationships from our past, comparing our own situations with that of another, getting hung up on what\u2019s good or bad, what\u2019s right or wrong\u2014certainly these kinds of situations and the concerns that arise from them are common among all kinds of people, regardless of where we live or what our background is. And here again, Shri Mahayogi also points out and reminds us to <strong>see only the Essence<\/strong>\u2014that <strong>everyone is the same, sacred Existence<\/strong>, that <em>the Truth exists within everyone<\/em>, and that the world, our minds and our situations are constantly fluctuating. He responds carefully to each question, and strongly lays the foundation of the teaching of Truth from a variety of angles, giving us an unwavering base upon which to bring ourselves to stand.<\/p>\n<p>Then, the final Q &amp; A of the <em>Satsangha<\/em>, titled \u201cThe Shift to the Path of Yoga,\u201d captures a rather emotional and strong interaction, in which an attendee\u2014after a long absence, after having hesitated to return due to her feeling of lacking readiness to dedicate herself\u2014returns to seriously and sincerely seek Shri Mahayogi\u2019s guidance, upon truly realizing the incomparable value of the teaching of Truth and the existence of Shri Mahayogi. She humbly asks the question hidden within her, \u201cPlease, I would like Shri Mahayogi to teach me what it means for me to choose to walk on the path of Yoga for myself.\u201d Shri Mahayogi, with great compassion, speaks to her, what it means to study and learn Yoga\u2014<strong>it is to correctly learn what this world is, and how to live in this world, and that all of the teachings, trainings, practices and disciplines of Yoga exist for the purpose of realizing the true Self.<\/strong> His presence and words surely must resonate within our hearts.<\/p>\n<p>No matter what lens of struggle from our daily life circumstances we may be experiencing, it is as if Shri Mahayogi\u2019s words, bring us to recall what is existing most fundamentally and absolutely at the core of our hearts, and the essentialness of working and practicing to establish that core, each of us within ourselves. In hearing Shri Mahayogi\u2019s teachings, the vacillations that arise from our daily circumstances, seem to pale and weaken in front of the firmness of the Truth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Testimony<br \/>\n<\/strong>The Testimony of <a href=\"https:\/\/pranavadipa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Pranavadipa Volume 76<\/em><\/a> is a great example of what is being taught in one of the sections of this issue\u2019s <em>Satsangha<\/em>, called \u201cApproaching the Way in Which the Saints Live.\u201d It is a translation of the second half of a 6-article series, \u201cGuided by Another Teresa: The Little Way of Saint Th\u00e9r\u00e8se,\u201d<a href=\"#_ftn2\" name=\"_ftnref2\">[2]<\/a> written by Yukti, Shri Mahayogi\u2019s disciple in Japan.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"#_ftnref2\" name=\"_ftn2\">[2]<\/a> The first half of \u201cGuided by Another Teresa: The Little Way of Saint Th\u00e9r\u00e8se\u201d was published in <a href=\"https:\/\/pranavadipa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Pranavadipa<\/em> Vol. 75<\/a> and its content is introduced in <a href=\"http:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/2021\/03\/echo-from-the-cave-151\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Echo From the Cave: 151<\/a>, as well as a little bit about the journey of Yukti that we have been witness to so far through her articles. This series of articles was originally published in <em>Paramahamsa<\/em> (Mahayogi Mission\u2019s monthly magazine in Japanese for members) over several issues spanning from 2014 to 2015. Her series of articles \u201cLiving on the Words of Mother\u201d was previously published in <a href=\"https:\/\/pranavadipa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Pranavadipa<\/em> (Vol. 67, Vol. 68, Vol. 69<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Yukti\u2019s journey continues as she dives into trying to understand the essence of Jesus, as a man of God, and the meaning of his final words on the cross: \u201c<em>Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?<\/em>\u201d (My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?)<\/p>\n<p>What is remarkable about her, as you may have also recognized from her actions that have already been written about in her previous articles, is that she does not let herself be satisfied just in hearing the words, like those she received from the priests and sisters who offered their own thoughts and interpretations about Jesus\u2019 last words, but rather, she herself tries to keenly delve into the meaning. But finally, being unable to find the answer herself, she asked Shri Mahayogi, who responded:<strong> \u201c\u2026. You must think of what Jesus tried to leave behind as a message.\u201d \u201cIt is ignorance. In Christianity, it is called sin, but in Yoga, it is called ignorance. Jesus became a sacrifice through bearing the sin of humanity.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Though her testimony in this issue begins by her trying to understand the meaning of these words, it is truly amazing and inspiring to see the devotion, perseverance and heartfelt yearning that seems to move Yukti into a continuous search for answers, trying again and again to come to her own understanding through her life experiences, and trying to apply the examples she is learning through Mother Teresa and Saint Th\u00e9r\u00e8se into her own life. Even so, in her search, Shri Mahayogi\u2019s words are always with her, she always bears in her heart the words that she has received from him, very carefully pondering upon them to understand their subtlety, trying to find the essence lying underneath, within the depth of his words, while constantly trying to see or think of the spirit of Mother Teresa, of Saint Th\u00e9r\u00e8se and of Jesus through them. Through her process of pondering and through her journey, we can realize more and more how precise Shri Mahayogi\u2019s guidance is to her, as if he knows what she will face next or, more correctly, as if he is laying down the road to follow before her. And through this she was led to realize that in order to know the spirit of Mother Teresa, of Th\u00e9r\u00e8se, and of Jesus, all her ideas about the teachings of Yoga that she had understood intellectually had to be removed, and instead she needed to become One with Yoga and truly live in Yoga, as the universal essence of all religion, which is exactly what Shri Mahayogi teaches.<\/p>\n<p>Currently Yukti is working at one of the public health centers in Osaka where aid for the pandemic situation is more critical than the area of the hospital where she had been working as a nurse up until February, living in her parents\u2019 home, in Matsuyama. Without hesitation, she goes wherever the need for support is most crucial. We can see her determination and her actions as the very reflection of the life mission she has found, and that is written about at the end of this series of articles.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\uff0a<\/p>\n<p>To conclude this blog post, we would like to share two comments from disciples in Matsuyama, Japan, who had interactions with Yukti in February, before she moved to Osaka to continue her mission.<\/p>\n<p>From Ms. Oomori:<br \/>\n<em>I see that Yukti-san has lived in Kyoto, Fukushima, Ehime, and Osaka, making action quickly; and every time she does that, she also changes the place where she works. So I asked her if she experiences any reluctance in having to start over from the beginning each time, needing to learn anew and accommodate herself to a new situation and environment, for example. This is the summary of her response:<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>\u201cWhen I start at a new workplace, I just do what I can at each moment, therefore, I have no reluctance. Worry, concern or reluctance are hindrances that only make yourself tired, after all. What is needed is to simply concentrate without getting involved with emotions.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>In conversation about interactions with people at her workplace, Yukti said:<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>\u201cThere are many different people, and that means different <\/em>karma<em>, so it is natural that there are people who may not have compatible ideas with yours. Therefore, it is a waste for you to even frustrate yourself thinking \u201cwhy?\u201d I tell people what I think will improve or help the situation or condition, but even if no change is reflected, I don\u2019t hold any grudge against the person. Rather, I myself, in carrying out the right way of living, will bring many positive effects and influences to my surroundings.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>\u201cWhile interacting with many people, there are people who criticize me and there are people who praise me, nonetheless, since the mind of people easily changes, I am not swayed by such things. If someone criticized you three days ago, the same person may praise you now\u2014that is a common occurrence. As Shri Mahayogi says, it is important to understand correctly such truth of this world.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>My impression of Yukti-san is someone who is always light and steady; and upon hearing these things, I feel like I have a glimpse into the reason behind why she is light and steady. I was especially impressed by her saying, \u201cmyself carrying out the right way of living will bring many positive effects and influences to my surroundings.\u201d It is about not seeing the external, but being firm with how you want to be and how you want to live.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Having an ideal, and making thoughts, words and actions as one\u2014the conversations with her were not necessarily about Yoga, but they were full of the essence of Yoga. I remember that sometime ago, Anandamali-san said that Yukti-san is not necessarily using words from the teachings of Yoga, yet she goes directly to the essence of Yoga by herself jumping into the world and acting. I saw that. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>I heard that Yukti-san would work in Osaka for some period of time, but she will eventually return to Ehime again. I thought that I should not just remain receiving this stimulus from her, but make it as food for my own walk, and grow, myself, until the next time I see her.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>From Anandi:<br \/>\n<em>One of the members is attracted to St. Th\u00e9r\u00e8se; and Shri Mahayogi advised her to \u201cthink about God 24-hours a day.\u201d Yet she kept saying for a few months that she was so interested in worldly matters that it was very difficult for her to do it. So, I mentioned about her to Yukti. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Then Yukti lent her the book called <\/em>The Imitation of Christ<em>. I heard that this book is considered to be almost like a second Bible, and Th\u00e9r\u00e8se used to refer to this book often. I heard that Yukti told her, \u201cPlease live according to this book.\u201d The reason why Yukti lent this book to her was because this book is written about the way devotees should be, and so she would be exposed to it. Yukti also told her to share with <\/em>gurubai<em> what is written there. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>A few days after the conversation with Yukti, she shared with me that she realized that her reading of this book was so superficial and that her understanding was so shallow. The words of Yukti that Yukti had spoken very powerfully, deeply reminded her of something. Those words were:<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><em>\u201cSince you have been practicing Yoga, I would like you to read this book, using Yoga as the base.\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cAs each one of us deepens Yoga, we benefit others, just like how the article written by Karuna<a href=\"#_ftn3\" name=\"_ftnref3\"><strong>[3]<\/strong><\/a> has inspired us here in Japan!\u201d<br \/>\n<\/em><em>\u201cWe exist in order to praise God.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 60px;\"><a href=\"#_ftnref3\" name=\"_ftn3\">[3]<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/2020\/09\/echo-from-the-cave-134\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Echo from the Cave: 134<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Monday\u00a0April 19, 2021 NYC Editor\u2019s Note:\u00a0Pranavadipa Volume 76 \u201cTruth Exists Within Everyone\u201d Pranavadipa Volume 76\u00a0was published on March 8th, 2021. We have already published\u00a0Volume 77, but please let us introduce the content of\u00a0Volume 76\u00a0and some key points below since it is full of great content! \u201cWhat must be learned in Yoga, is the Truth. What [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5939"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5939"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5939\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5967,"href":"https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5939\/revisions\/5967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mahayogi.org\/sahasrara\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}