2011 Convocation – “Miracles: The Working of Higher Laws” ~ Brother Achalananda, Lake Shrine Temple, Sunday August 14th
(DISCLAIMER: These notes are our best attempt to capture the essence of what was said at this class. There is always a degree of human error involved when taking notes and we have transcribed them to the best of our ability.)
Our role is to know God, to become acquainted with God. We are the soul, but how many people know they are the soul? Whenever a soul comes into a form the delusion is created that we are this form. So many aspects of this from keep us from knowing who we are. The techniques give us a way to find who we are.
Our lives will become happier and better and we will no longer be at the mercy of events. We get caught up in the drama. If you desire strawberry shortcake you can’t get that in heaven—that desire will tie you to this creation.
Breath also ties us to creation—that’s why we work at controlling the breath. When we control the breath we can find out who we are.
Meditation is to concentrate upon God. The senses are good for physical sensations—that’s why it’s good to connect to God through the spiritual eye, the gate, the eastern star…..
Sit still when you meditate because if you move your life senses keep you on the surface. We want to take the attention inside.
God is peace, silence, stillness.
When we are in proper meditation posture, we are “awake and ready.” When we are in a slumped posture we are in a posture of defeat, so sit in the proper meditation posture to the BEST of your ability.
Brother summarized Leo Tolstoy’s story of “Three Hermits” to illustrate the power and miracles that can arise as you create your own prayers: http://www.online-literature.com/tolstoy/2896/
Miracles are laws above normal creation. How does any saint perform miracles? Science has no answer. The word impossible is becoming less used.
Maya – the measure of delusion. The law contains principles of relativity. Man weaves a false, delusive veil.
Newton’s laws are a part of maya. To have a single force is not reality. Opposite forces – pairs of opposites exist everywhere. One is the absence of the other or they are intermingled. You can’t get rid of the dual nature. Creation is dualities. The mayac origin.
Positive and negative poles. Polarity exists everywhere. It is the nature of our earth. Creation is a creation of relativity. The only absolute is God.
Creation has a beginning and an end. This shows it’s not permanent and it is not real.
Gita – God’s omniscience. Chapter 6, Verse 8 – Yogi absorbed in truth is united in spirit. He looks with an equal eye on earth and sees beyond the outer form and sees all as one substance – God.
A yogi rests in bliss, concentrated on a single divine being. All is dream relativities of God. Various vibrations of the one cosmic light. Emanations of the one divine consciousness.
Light is the most phenomenal aspect. Light remains the most subtle. Light dominates Einstein’s theories – the only constant in the universal flux.
The universe looks more like a great thought than a great machine. And that thought is God’s thought.
There is no physical universe – all is maya and illusion.
Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.
Law of miracles – Masters are able to materialize and dematerialize their bodies. Their mass is infinite. It’s the “mass” of their consciousness. The consciousness of a yogi is identified with universal structure, not a body. He is not subject to a body, time or space.
“I am He, I am He, blessed spirit, I am He.” This is the state of consciousness that a great Master has.
St. John of the Cross – God sent him the heavenly light of joy. The Lord said to him, “John, I am here. Be not afraid. I will set thee free. Follow me.” John followed God’s light and escaped imprisonment.
St. Teresa of Avila – traveling in a wagon to start a new convent, she came to a river racing with water. She started to wade in the water and was swept under. She suddenly was on the bank and her clothes were dry. “Lord, why do you treat me this way?” The Lord replied, “Oh, I treat all my friends this way.” Teresa then replied, “Yes, Lord, that is why you have so few.”
This creation is not as real as it seems to us. It seems real to the senses, but that’s just how it reveals itself to the senses. But if we look at things under a microscope, we see they are made of light. If we can break through maya, we will be able to walk through walls.
Man should be a master of maya – to have dominion over the cosmos. Not to abuse or mistreat, but to be a steward and protector of creation. The more we do this, the better our lives will be.
Master tells the story of a fisherman and a Hindu priest. The fisherman sold his catch. The village priest bought on credit but never paid what he owed. The fisherman asked the priest to teach him how to walk on water. Son, all you have to do is write on your palms three times the word OM, then you can walk on water to catch your fish. The priest was astonished that the technique worked. The fisherman held the hand of the priest and they walked on water. The skeptical priest feared drowning and he started to panic. The fisherman told the priest to have faith in God.
Faith is the product of experience. You experience and you know. Then you know that you know. But if the mind gets involved and starts to analyze, you have great doubts. Follow the intuition. We need to listen to the intuition.
Develop your faith to try to work on small miracles. There’s tremendous power of the mind. Use it to accomplish more.
Train yourself to sit in meditation. God is stillness, quietness, and peace.
One way to go deep in meditation is to sit still, to have the yearning.
You are not this body – you are the soul. You are immortal.
2011 Convocation – “Placing Our Lives in the Guru’s Loving Care” ~ Brother Anilananda
(DISCLAIMER: These notes are our best attempt to capture the essence of what was said at this class. There is always a degree of human error involved when taking notes and we have transcribed them to the best of our ability.)
Your relationship with God should be as simple as feeling God’s presence. Bro. Anilananda’s mom took Hong Sau and the Energization Exercises but not Kriya but that was fine because Guruji accepts all religions.
The relationship with the Guru is much different than just checking off a checklist. It’s the depth of a relationship. What is a good relationship? What is the relationship with the Guru like? It’s hard to put into words. When most people get married they don’t have a good example of what a good relationship looks like.
A relationship with the Guru is a flow. An embrace. A oneness. An exchange. Surrender, love, trust, relaxation, thanks. There’s a whole range and exchange.
There’s a lot going on in the Guru/disciple relationship. It is the greatest expression of love and friendship. Unconditional love and friendship based on a singular goal: the desire to love God above all else.
Sister Gyanamata was one of the greatest examples of the Guru/disciple relationship.
The disciple bares his soul to the Master and the Master bares his heart to the disciple. It’s taintless. There’s no relationship greater in this world. Love in its supreme form.
In October of 1965 Bro. Anilananda entered the postulant ashram and saw the problems we will always have keeping our minds on God. It’s our problems that keep us from our relationship with God and Guru.
There are two aspects to the Guru/Disciple relationship:
1. Need of the disciple
2. The one who can help (the Guru)
“Problems we will always have. Keep your eyes on God.” ~ Ma quoting Master
Our problems drive us to ask for help. Even we should include God in the most trifling needs that we have.
Some of us have cried: I want no more play things – I want Thee. I want to know You. When that happens it’s a yearning from the soul that it’s got to be better than this. The soul says “This is not good enough for me.” The soul yearns for help. It wants help, answers, wisdom. Then the universe responds and sends the Guru.
On one side is the “me.” The soul saying I want knowledge. This is not good enough for me. Then God responds and sends someone who can help. We have to choose our teacher or Guru very carefully. We want to know that the teacher we have has the qualities we want.
As a bright light shining in the dark, so was Paramahansa Yogananda in this world.
Master is doing more with us devotee to devotee then he could in the United Nations. He is changing the world.
When we look at Yogananda we see how human Guruji is. He understands our tests and trials and temptations and our limitations. Bro. referred to Chapter One of the Bhagavad Gita, which has to do with complaining. According to Arjuna, “even if these things are killing me I don’t want to give up.” Guruji knows what it looks like when we want to die in sense indulgence.
Guruji is human in the sense that he says: “In a way God has not done right by us. We didn’t ask to be created.” Master turned to God and said, “You didn’t try this on yourself!”
The Guru knows what it’s like to be human. He made his way out of delusion.
God asked Master to go back to show others the way. “All my questions have been answered. Teach me the language of angels.” ~ Master
He knows the answers. He chronicled in the Gita the various states of ecstasy.
“I am His name and He is my own. I am no one because I have no other existence from the dreamer.” ~ Master
The Guru – the dispeller of darkness. He knows what it’s like but has the experience of God’s presence.
Those who say they know don’t know and those who don’t know, don’t know.
Needs on the part of the soul. The Guru knows how to help. Based on this, we can have a very deep relationship. Bow to Thee as the speaking voice of the silent God.
Guruji says he knows everything automatically. He knows because that is his job. Help comes from the Guru when we open up when we surrender. Surrender is needed; we have to let go of so many things.
Chapter 2, Verse 7 of the Gita: Arjuna surrenders. Bless me, change me, help me. Surrendering. Three verses later, Krishna smiles.
Our joys get changed to tears of joy; then the help comes from the Guru when we open up.
“I will be your friend when you err. When you make a mistake, run to me!” ~ Master
Ma said: “Talk to him. Guruji was the one in the world I could go to to open my heart. When I would look into his eyes, he would say, ‘I know your every thought.’”
Ma knew it and knew that he would be able to help her if he knew all her thoughts and faults. “I want freedom – that is why I came to you.” ~ Ma
He taught her to put her attention on God. He didn’t take the attention himself.
If you keep talking to Guruji like this, you will change. When the Guru sees you for who you are he can help you. Let the Guru wash out all of your bad habits. Visualize the blessings of the Guru. Self-discipline feels good—we want to do what is right.
“The salvation of souls through Kriya Yoga is my greatest aim.” ~ Master
The channel is blessed by what flows through it. After meditation, think of the Guru in the spiritual eye and ask the questions you need answered. Be one with the cosmic love of everything. A true teacher wants to help you put the focus on God. Ask questions we want answered and we will receive spiritual guidance. We may not feel the results.
Our relationship with the Guru is based on the love for God.
Continue meditating and practicing the techniques. You never know when God will come.
Read Guru’s words daily. “Scrubbing the brain cells,” Brother Turiyananda would call it!
Ask the help of the Guru again and again. We can say to Guruji, “change me.” Ask for a deeper relationship with God. It may not seem easy because we may have difficulties. God is always there. God is in the darkness. Awaken all the soul qualities so we can awaken the Guru’s presence.
God loves us anyway. It doesn’t matter what we have done. It doesn’t matter what is happening to us. We should love God anyway.
“I will swoop down from heaven and help those who are in tune realize the love of the Father.” ~ Master
Surrender and run to God all the time. The Guru disciple relationship is based on a mutual shared relationship with God.
Feel the touch of the Master’s hand.
Convocation 2011 – “Satsanga” ~ Brother Balananda
(DISCLAIMER: These notes are our best attempt to capture the essence of what was said at this class. There is always a degree of human error involved when taking notes and we have transcribed them to the best of our ability.)
Satsanga means “truth and fellowship.”
Children are fresh from the astral—very honest and open. So sometimes when one wants truth, it is interesting to ask a child. One child was asked what an “invoice” was, and he replied it was a “message from the conscience.”
On Meditation
It is recommended that we meditate 4x a day—at dawn, at noon, at sunset, and before retiring.
But the goal is to make our lives a living, breathing, walking, talking meditation–an ongoing prayer and communication with God. Weave the meditative state of consciousness throughout the day.
Add aerobic exercises to the energization exercises 2x a day to calm the body.
Recommendations for health
1) Physically: See a doctor.
2) Mentally: Keep the mind positive. Combine affirmations with visual images. This is very positive and powerful. Get it into your body by adding rhythm or song. It adds feeling. Visualize light coming in through the medulla oblongata.
3) Spiritually: Meditate. Focus on the Divine Mother. Relax and cast aside all mental burdens.
On Finding One’s Soul Companion/Life Companion (or “How do I know if this person is my soul companion?”)
The three most important things to look for–
1) Soul unity (see lesson 59 for explanation)
2) Similarity of interests
3) Physical attraction. Keep in mind that physical attraction loses its power if #1 and #2 are not present.
Affirmation for finding a soul companion or knowing if current person is the right one: “Heavenly Father, bless me, so that I choose my soul companion on the basis of soul unity.”
Continue this affirmation for 6 months. God will speed up the process of your knowing “yes” or “no.”
On the Aum Technique and the Problem of Tinnitus
If you can’t get around the sounds, embrace it. Focus on it. Spiritualize it. We’re in God’s Presence. Hear it as God’s footsteps getting closer and closer. Or listen to no sound and concentrate on the feeling.
Allow the obstacle to become a stepping stone.
On Meditation and Feeling No Progress Is Being Made
1. First review meditation technique in the lessons. See 8A, 23A, 30A, & 7A. Put them in a separate binder and review each lesson once a month. Our memory clouds and alters things. Pretty soon we’re doing our own thing.
2. Then remember to keep the gaze gently lifted, without straining (not crossed!)
Eyes kept at the thought level produce thoughts. Eyes that are lowered result in pictures.
3. Re: the guru/disciple relationship—don’t ask. Just get busy doing. Follow blindly, like a lamb. Can’t always explain why. Thoughts distract. They get in the way of meditation technique working.
4. ”Charming the ether”—Mean business. Pick up the visual cosmic ladle. Fill us with Your Love, Divine Mother. Give God a window whereby He or She can come in. (Techniques followed by stillness and devotion.)
Should I give money to those on the street who ask for it?
The Master said “Seek to do brave and lovely things left undone by the majority of people.”
“Smile through my eyes.
Reason through my mind.
Love through my heart.”
“Divine Mother, make a clear prism of Your Love.”
The answer to this is up to you. There are many ways to demonstrate God’s Love to others.
You could offer to buy that person a meal so that the money will not be used for alcohol or drugs. One way to think of it: “I don’t want to give you money to injure yourself.”
But you could also offer to pray for that person. Most important is to offer unconditional acceptance and not judgment.
The Master was “so gracious, so loving, so natural” with people. So think, speak and act graciously, lovingly, and naturally.
2011 Convocation – “Forging Divine Consciousness in the Fires of Daily Existence” ~ Brother Bhumananda
(DISCLAIMER: These notes are our best attempt to capture the essence of what was said at this class. There is always a degree of human error involved when taking notes and we have transcribed them to the best of our ability.)
We are a big family tonight, aren’t we?
150 years ago Kriya Yoga was re-introduced. As we open our hearts and minds, we will feel Guruji’s loving presence. Through the powerful magnet of the group effort, we will receive blessings.
Brother urges us to disconnect from the rest of the world this week. Immerse your whole being in convocation.
Sri Gyanamata is an example of the supreme disciple. Ma received a note of advice from her. It read:
1. See nothing. Look at nothing but your goal.
2. The things that happen to us do not matter. What we become because of these things does.
3. Each day accept everything as coming from God.
4. Give everything back into God’s hands at the end of each day.
Keep the goal ever shining before you. How does maya work on us? Though our bad habits and resistance. The great purpose of our lives is to find God.
Deeply study and absorb the Guru’s teachings. The essential purpose of life is to know God as our Guru knew God.
Hours before his death, Jesus worked to impart his teachings to his followers. “Abide in me and I in you.” “For without me ye can do nothing.” It is through Christ consciousness that God calls all of us.
Right now we’re in delusion and delusion is strong. We think we are these bodies with all these aches and pains. We have to get back to the goal – we are the soul.
I am a child of God made in His divine image. God is light, love, joy. We as His children are his life, joy, etc. Why don’t we feel the joy more? We can’t see it because our consciousness is all clogged. Through delusion and wrong living, the channel through which we receive God is all clogged up and we can’t receive all these things.
Read Master’s poem “Samadhi”
Cleanse the channel and delusions will fall away.
Become the cosmic sea. We’re not just the little ego. We are the cosmic sea – the infinite vine of Christ consciousness. Think of the entire ocean – that is the joy that awaits each of us when we find God.
Master said: My body is nothing; whether I am in the body or not, I have a prayer for you: as God is born in you, so He is born in me.
God can truly be born within you. Once we realize this as a possibility, then we will want to give all our love and loyalty to the Guru until the divine goal is reached.
Master doesn’t want to create mediocre devotees. What most interested Master was the devotee’s spirit and the desire to experience God. Master came to give the experience of God to those who work for it.
Every devotee will go through the point when he/she feels they cannot endure. Every devotee will feel overwhelmed. Why are you doing this to me, Master?
If during the trials we strive for right attitude, we begin to see the experiences as a golden nugget. Through it we become spiritually strong and we draw closer to God.
Many people are afraid of life’s problems. Master was not.
Change your thoughts if you wish to change your circumstances.
If we have faith, make the spiritual effort, and love God, then God responds to us.
We want a spiritual continuity every day. Grow through the little trials and tests. We can give in to the lower emotions or we can strive to follow the higher path. Every day can be a spiritual victory. Every day we are presented with choices. Right attitude means choosing the higher path again and again.
In the ultimate sense, it is God alone. He walks with me, He talks with me, He calls me His own.
Make the personal relationship with God so sweet. Dive into the relationship with God. The tests lose their power over you. Eventually you will reach the point where you know God is in charge.
How can I get closer to you, Lord? Look for ways to be closer to God. Every minute is a link between you and God.
Don’t waste a moment. We all have opportunities to be with God. Just close your eyes and say, “I love you, God. I don’t know anything else. I just love you, God.”
Meditate every day. The more you commune with God, the less you will be affected by negative environment.
Study Guru’s teachings. When you are troubled, one of the Guru’s thoughts will come to you and comfort you.
Ma’s simplicity in her approach to God. One or two short thoughts were her shining light posts:
1. Lord, Thy will be done.
2. Thou art the does not I.
3. What does Master want?
Practice these affirmations. If you need to determine an answer or direction, ask Guru at the end of meditation. It’s like having a divine compass. As we meditate and follow the Guru, our relationship with God becomes deeper.
God likes to come in the little, subtle ways. Add them all up and it’s a huge transformation.
The child being held in the mother’s arm. The child knows it is loved by God. You are held in the lap of Divine Mother. We can all have the greatest experience of being loved by God.
You can let off steam with God and share things with Him. He often knows what you’re thinking better than you do. Even when we’re unreasonable, God loves us.
To know God is to develop that relationship when He is your dearest friend, even when we don’t follow the path well.
Be faithful to your Sadhana and your Guru. This is how it becomes real.
Putting off meditation until tomorrow is a great delusion. Keep on and persevere. Perseverance is the key to spiritual success. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. You’re getting closer to the finish line. It’s all part of the course of finding God.
Seeking God – it’s not a few months or a few years. We have to do our best throughout our lives.
The last thought we leave the body determines the next experience. The entirely of a human life is reviewed at death’s door. One is overwhelmed with one thought or desire – happy, guilty, worldy… whatever the feeling is it will lead you to a particular astral plane. The final thought at the end is the culmination of your life.
If you never give up, your last thought will be: Divine Mother, I never gave up. I will never give up until you come to me. With a final thought like this, we will be lifted up to a higher astral plane.
You don’t have to wait until the end to know God. When we meditate, it’s like having God right around the corner.
In the valley of sorrow, a thousand years or till tomorrow, I will see only you, you, you, just you.
Work on devotion – that loving relationship to God.
Love is one of the greatest stimulants to the will. The personal element of love is greater than Kriya Yoga. But don’t forget the science of yoga. Yoga and devotion is the balanced path.
Yearning of your soul to unite with God. This is love. It is simple.
First – set priorities. Your relationship with God has to be your number one priority.
Close your eyes and say, “I love you, God.” The personal relationship with God is very important. God is so incredibly personal. We will never be happy until we give ourselves completely to God.
Those who love God – God comes running into their hearts. God responds to human affection.
The Guru has given us the path of Kriya Yoga. We need to keep perseverance. It is the whole magic of spiritual success. You don’t get to the mountain in one leap… you find a path and keep taking one step after another.
“May God be born within you as he is from within me.” ~ Master
Convocation 2011 – “Mastering the Techniques of Meditation – Part I” ~ Brother Ishtananda
(DISCLAIMER: These notes are our best attempt to capture the essence of what was said at this class. There is always a degree of human error involved when taking notes and we have transcribed them to the best of our ability.)
“If you pull out the chair from underneath the mind you will fall into God.” Saying by a Persian Mystic
Falling into God is falling into the experience of God consciousness, that joy beyond existence.
An Indian saint once said, “Man minus mind =God”
What does the mind’s existence depend on? The mind is like the bad, babbling, neurotic roommate we live with. There is no such thing as mind apart from thought.
Pulling out the chair enables us to quiet the mind. When we can pull the chair out, we can quiet the thought and the mind ceases to exist. When the mind is quiet, then our whole consciousness falls into God.
What stimulates the mind and keeps up the constant chatter? The breath and the mind have an intimate relationship. The breath links man with the fleeting world. As long as we are breathing, the life currents flow in the body and stimulate life currents in the mind. This is what keeps the mind moving.
Krishna: “I find the mind as difficult to control as the wind.” Yet, we have no more control over the winds than we have over our mind.
The deeper meaning of mind is breath. The mind is bound up with man’s breathing pattern. As long as the mind is moving we won’t be able to perceive our perfect divine consciousness. We need to gain control.
Kriya is a great form of pranayam—it works in an active way with the breath to control life force and to attain the breathless state. Kriya works with the breath to neutralize currents in the spine.
Hong Sau is in and of itself a great timeless form of pranayam—working with the breath in a passive way. It is baby Kriya, silent Kriya. A technique of breathlessness.
The state of breathlessness is what we aspire to. It is the immediate goal of Kriya and Hong Sau.
Breathlessness is indescribable—we have to experience this. It is something no human tongue can tell.
To know God is to love God. To love God is to make every effort to be in that breathlessness.
We may have better results if we have that consciousness in mind. How many of us have the breathless state a goal? It will come with practice, but we may get better results if we have the goal in mind. It should inspire us to make a greater effort.
Look up “breath, kriya, and Hong Sau” in the Bhagavad Gita index to gain a better understanding of how breath works.
Breathlessness is deathlessness. Breathlessness is pure perfect divine consciousness. In the breathless state we realize the body is not dependent on breath, food, etc. We realize what our true state really is. Pure perfect divine consciousness. External consciousness of God.
“Breathing is an acquired mortal habit of the life force.”
We have been conditioned to think we need breath to exist. When breathlessness comes don’t draw back—surrender to it. In meditation when there’s that love there’s nothing to be afraid of. This is the exalted spiritual state of breathlessness.
In the medulla there is a sensor that measures CO2 level and when it’s too high it sends a message to exhale and visa versa. It’s a very scientific process. The physiology of the body is so sensitive that it is adjusted on a case to case basis. So there’s no reason or us to be concerned if the breath stops for a while in meditation.
Different things can bring on a breathless state. Even mundane things can bring on the breathless state. Witnessing love – deep love between mother and child can take your breath away. When the mind is calm and focused, the breath is a quiet.
Breathlessness is a natural state that doesn’t need to be forced or feared. It’s a natural state. We can all experience the breathless state—even if it’s just a moment—it’s still a breathless moment. You can’t force a breathless state; it has to be natural.
Hong Sau is a vital form of pranayam in and of itself. Chanting can be a form of pranayama. It can also bring on the breathless state. The duration of breathlessness doesn’t matter. “Every minute is eternity because eternity can be experienced in that moment.” ~ Master
We all breathe, we all have pauses in the breath. We can all experience the state of breathlessness.
The conditioned mind may kick in and say to you, “You have to breathe.” Once you start to breathe, you lose that peaceful state. But you can’t force it. It has to come naturally.
Master has given up the techniques so this natural state can come to us. Hong Sau is a technique of breathlessness. It helps to neutralize the currents in the spine.
Breath ties the mind to the sense plane. Breathlessness is the way to God.
2011 Convocation – “Living Fearlessly: Overcoming the Causes of Stress and Worry” ~ Brother Jayananda
(DISCLAIMER: These notes are our best attempt to capture the essence of what was said at this class. There is always a degree of human error involved when taking notes and we have transcribed them to the best of our ability.)
When big things happen, it’s important to have a sense of perspective.
Brother was given a picture of the milky way, spinning spiral of 300 trillion stars. It would take one hundred thousand light years for a beam of light to go from one end to the other. There are 100 billion galaxies out there just like our own milky way.
Master helps us to have perspective. Life is a stage and we are all actors on that stage. We try to please the divine stage manager (God!).
Why are we on a stage? How do we get off the stage? The world is not meant to be perfect, but we have a role to play. Our Guru explains the purpose of life.
A Belgian physicist who won the Noble Prize once said: “Everything in creation needs friction to grow and change and perfect itself.” Friction is a fundamental part of nature and nothing grows without it. The process of being shaken up is a prerequisite to growth. What doesn’t change becomes stagnant. Everything in nature points to that – we have to have difficulties. Even science points to the fact that we’re supposed to have trouble.
If a particular person who brought you trouble didn’t exist, Master would have to create a person so you’d get to learn that lesson.
Gita – The cosmic law sees to it that duties that come to man in the natural course of life are those he is meant to perform for his own welfare. Running away and wishing things were different will not give us the lessons we need. Tests will always come, but they come to point things out to us. Things we cannot explain are meant to be.
What do we know about fear? To be fit for self-realization, a person must be fearless. Not just courageous, but a person must be in control of fear.
Fear robs man of the indominability of his soul. It causes physical and mental nervousness. It keeps man focused on the ego and objects of fear. Fear ties the mind and heart to the external man.
The Guru was fearless.
What is fear? Fear is a base emotion. It is the body’s way to anticipate and avoid pain or death. Fear is our most primal emotion. We suffer fear so we can survive. There’s a reason for fear. In fear animals Fight or flight. Two ways we react to fear. We face it or we run away from it.
Fear is not meant to be cultivated or abused. The yogi learns to take fear and control it, overcome it.
The “Living Fearlessly” booklet has different examples, techniques, and thoughts.
Fear comes from the heart. Inhale and exhale and relax with each exhalation. Start breathing and it will quiet the heart. Put your hand over your heart and say, “Father, tune out fear from my heart.” Rub left to right – move the energy left to right. If your heart is truly quiet it cannot feel fear at all.
Be selective with the people you associate with. Environment is stronger than willpower. Surround yourself with courageous people and you will become fearless yourself.
Do your best and then relax. Let things go naturally and everyone around you will be relaxed.
No matter what situation Ma was in, she was so natural and so perfectly behaved and in touch with everything around her.
Ma is perfectly present in all her pictures. It didn’t matter what she was doing. Perfect balance and behavior. She had a very strong connection to Divine Mother and Master, and she emanated this wherever she went.
If you are unable to dislodge fear, try to do something that distracts you. Have harmless amusements or read books. It’s better than having horrible fear in your mind.
Have courage. Face the difficulties in front of you and don’t’ run from things.
Be courageous. Look at life and see how you can react courageously. Courage is the ability to do what is required of us.
Brother read the poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley:
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
The ability to do what we need to do, what is required of us. “Seek to do brave and lonely things that are left undone by the majority of people” ~ Master from Songs of the Soul
We develop these qualities by practicing them. And we practice them because we are aware we need to work on them. Give gifts of peace and love to those around you.
Brother Bhaktananda advised to take one quality a week and work on it.
Hard times and difficulties are here so we can work on what we need to work on. When you look back on your life, you see how you have grown. These things are necessary. Everything is eventually temporary.
“Look fear in the face and it will cease to trouble you.” ~ Sri Yukteswar
Many times it takes longer for us to learn.
“How many times does something have to happen to us before something occurs to us?” ~ Robert Frost
Change yourself if you want to have happiness in this world. If you want to be free from fear and anxiety. Change your own consciousness. Be rid of mosquito consciousness!
It’s not about changing things around us; it’s about changing yourself. “How do I change myself?”
Master said, “Fear is afraid of me. Danger and I were born together and I am the older brother!”
It wasn’t a smooth life for our Guru. He had big responsibilities – full of anxiety. But Master knew he was doing God’s work. Great souls are not free from anxiety but they deal with them in different ways.
We have to work at keeping our lives simple and focused on what is important. It’s not easy today to live a simple, focused life, yet this is necessary to be successful on the spiritual path. Stress is measured by how many times you have to reorient your mindset to include solitude and silence, simplicity and unity.
Separate your needs from your wants. Don’t constantly have desires – it will just complicate your life.
Plain living and high thinking. Simplicity, but the mind is absorbed in high thoughts. What we put in our minds is what manifests in our life. You won’t find better high thinking than what’s in our Guru’s teachings.
Put Master’s teachings deep within. We have a sense of what is right and what is true. Ma had evenness of disposition.
“Do it now.” Master would say this after he gave an assignment. You will not procrastinate and you will have more freedom. Have an evenness of disposition. Avoid likes and dislikes.
If you really want to change yourself and overcome fear, do Kriya. Kriya changes us fundamentally from within.
The more we practice Kriya, the more we realize what we have been given. Understanding and wisdom will grow.
The end of fear comes with the contact with God. Why wait? Nothing else matters at all. Nothing else can make you afraid. Continually seek him through prayer and Kriya.
Mrinalini Mata had a clarity of understanding. Her depth of Master’s teachings was unparalleled. So deep and so profound.
Mrinalini Mata: “Kriya enables us to serve with more than mere words.”
Mrinalini Mata: “When meditation is over and we return to the world, we return with some of God’s qualities.”
Another side of Kriya – it also cements the bond between disciple and Guru. This is equally if not more important than the technique itself.
The Guru is there to support us and help us – to hold our hands as we go through the difficulties of life.
What really can hurt us? Take these teaching throughout our lives and make the most of them.
The purpose of religion is to contact God’s joy. If you can find that joy you will stand unshaken amidst the crashing of worlds.
2011 Convocation – Friday Evening Lecture ~ Mrinalini Mata
(DISCLAIMER: These notes are our best attempt to capture the essence of what was said at this class. There is always a degree of human error involved when taking notes and we have transcribed them to the best of our ability.)
Introduction by Bro. Achlananda: “At the young age of 14, just a few months later with her parents’permission Mrinalini Mata entered Paramahansa Yogananda’s ashram at Encinitas as a nun of the SRF order. Master devoted close attention to the spiritual training of this young nun from the very beginning of her life and personally trained her; she prepared his writings and talks for publication after his passing. All of us are extremely grateful for the many volumes of our Guru’s sublime wisdom and divine inspiration that have been published under her guidance. Mrinalini Mata was vice-president of Self-Realization Fellowship for 45 years, closely assisting our late beloved President Sri Daya Mata in overseeing the spiritual and humanitarian activities of SRF/YSS while also serving as editor-in-chief of SRF publications. Not long after Daya Mataji passed away last year, Mrinalini Mata became the 4th President of Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, and it is our joy to welcome her to our convocation gathering this evening.”
Crowd stands up and applauds Mrinalini Mata as she enters the stage.
As she enters the stage, escorted by a Brother she says to him: “This was quite a different experience for a little girl from Kansas.” Brother replies: “Well you can say as Dorothy, You’re not in Kansas anymore.”
Never in my wildest dreams—I could never conceive of coming before you all with this title. And the blessing and the honor to represent a unique lineage of divine souls who founded Self-Realization Fellowship, this worldwide mission and sacred work of Gurudev.
This is of course, as you’ve heard throughout the week, is honoring our 150th anniversary of the reemergence of the kriya yoga science. I want you all to know how how very much—I don’t know how to use the words to describe our blessed Gurudev and his great humility and his tremendous honor that he felt that Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya and the training of his Gurudev, Sri Yukteswar, prepared him to bring that light of kriya yoga to all of us across the seas.
As you all heard many times, his longing and the idea of his life was to spend it in the solitude along the banks of the Ganges River or at the Himalayan Caves— just lost in God. And at Babaji’s behest and hearing from Sri Yukteswar “in years hence I will send to you a chela for training to carry this message of kriya yoga to the world.”
Gurudev often spoke of the early years of his striving, and as he wrote in the Autobiography, the students that couldn’t be taught and all of the difficulties that he had in trying to make a foundation for the mission that had been entrusted to him. Our Beloved Ma, Sri Daya Mataji when she came, as you know, Master referred to her as his nest egg. He said when she came “I at last saw and was inwardly assured that she was the symbol, the sign, she was my nest egg, and I would be able to build a foundation of dedicated souls who wanted to give their lives just to seeking and serving God and this work.”And one by one others came, and now today I must say our monastic community that serves day and night, serving God in meditation with their love and devotion and loyalty to God and Guru and serving you all, and, in turn, you all do so much to inspire and serve those who serve.
This Convocation has drawn you all from I’m told what I think is 47 countries around the world. I’ve read each one. Some countries, oh I’ve read the name but I didn’t even know where it was. I said “nevermind Master—you knew where it was, and you knew the souls that were waiting there to receive your meditation.”
You’ve already been welcomed to the convocation, but in Guruji’s name and one who sat at his feet and heard him speak so many times “after I am gone they will come by the thousands. I know who they are and they will come. God has chosen them.” He used to say to the congregations, “you know you wouldn’t be here today. You wouldn’t feel that attunement with this path and with your Guru if that relationship had not been secured in God in incarnations past.”
So truly I want to I need to say to you I could just feel Gurudev’s joy in these past few years of our convocations as they have grown as he said “I have stopped traveling the country speaking to vast audiences because I did not want to draw just crowds. I am seeking for souls. I am seeking for those who really want to know God.”
But I love crowds of souls as I know tonight as on this more recent convocation how thrilled he is how thrilled Master is to welcome you here.
I want to thank the monastics who work year round to prepare for convocation and their wonderful group of volunteers from among our Temple members and even those who come far distances who use their time from their vacations just to serve for convocation. You all speak so beautifully of the inspiration that you receive from those who sacrifice and make possible the convocation experience. But I want you to know that I think you all inspire us even more than we can offer to you. We are just one family of Gurudev— his worldwide lord God has given this monk a large family. Help us with each one of us—that out of the multitudes we are at his feet.
I’d like to begin this evening to share with you his words at well it was the I guess the last convocation during his lifetime, and this is, in part his address to the devotees. “Especially this time I shall be sending to each of you a spiritual blessing to help you in your progress on this path and to hasten your steps toward the Kingdom of God’s joy. I am in seclusion now, so that I may better serve you and your spiritual needs. The more you tune in with me by your devotion and meditation the more God will be able to help you through me and the link of the Masters. I urge each one of you to absorb as much as you can while you are here of the instructions in self-realization and above all of the real spirit of self-realization. The world needs souls who will carry a torch of spiritual perception through conscious communion with God—a torch in deed to burn away dark ignorance which keeps souls from realizing their oneness with God. May God and the Masters bless you and make of you a channel of the divine power and the divine love. With unceasing blessings and love, thine Paramahansa Yogananda.”
I can’t help but I could never dream but that I would be seeing you all and addressing you all with the title that was so supremely expressed and worn by our great lineage: Gurudev, Rajarsi Janakananda, Sister Daya Mata—they are the great inspiration, the great spirit that is truly the foundation and the heart of this mission.
In those last hours of Ma’s life—I have to digress a bit to share with you—you all have known her for 60 some years as the representative of Gurudev. She lived this work and she lived the lives of each of you, such was her love, such was her concern and care that Gurudev’s spirit would always live on, and in those last hours that was her only thought. Her body had long since been ready to go. To be by her divine beloved that was the only thing she ever wanted, to merge in that divine love of God—that was her life breath, her life energy, everything that she was and longed for, so the body was ready to go, but her mind could not let go of all of you.
I said to her: “Ma, you have done your part and more. You have been such a guiding light and influence. You have shown us and your light will continue always to show us how we can live Master’s teachings. Master’s love for God, Master’s love for the world. You have shown us the way. You have lived our path.” No, she shook her head.”Master is the one— Oh he is the light, he is the light. Look to him. Just follow Gurudev. He will guide you.”
I spoke to her of the great sacrifice she had made throughout her life, her complete dedication. She was always—her mind, her heart and her spirit were always serving, serving God, serving Gurudev, thinking of serving you all and God. I said Ma, “I’m sure Master is telling you now, you have done your part, this last moments of your life—it’s time for you to let go now and to know that all that you have given will always be will always be with us. Then she said “I love them all so much. I just cry take their letters and requests for prayers and I place them on my altar. Tears well up in her eyes. I love them so much. Tell them all. Tell them all how much I love them.”
That was Gurudev speaking through her. That was the Divine Mother, the mother of all love speaking through her, so that so that is the legacy that she has given that she has given to all of us. That love, her desire to link our lives to divine mother as she had lived her life with Divine Mother.
Master’s message that I shared with you. That was his wish that you would all invite so deeply the teachings of self-realization and even more the spirit of self-realization— that each one of you would be a channel of God’s love.
This world is in such turmoil. It always has been but it seems like as the population grows as knowledge and advances come along, everything increases and the turmoils increase also. It’s so hard, I know for those of you who are having to face so many problems today and insecurity this world is in. Master used to say “just remember the only security, the only fulfillment is in God. Meditate. Meditate. Meditate so deeply. Practice your kriya yoga.”
You know, one of the most common questions, if not complaints of devotees seeking counsel is “well, I just don’t feel I’m making any progress.” Master would say in a very sweetly divinely mocking way “You don’t say so.” I once thought well this is a very wise answer to give to Master and when Master asked me to do something that I thought was beyond my capacity, which he’s still doing, and he said “look what I have done” and he was speaking of how he was doing all the things he was going through and had gone through to establish this path with the ashrams and the temples. And I said “but Master after all you’re Yogananda.” I thought that was a good argument. Master just looked at me. I thought there would be some sympathy. Start with small things and work up to it. He just looked at me and he said “The only difference between you and a Yogananda is that I made the effort.” Well that left me nowhere to go.
With Master I learned early on the spiritual path the way to get along with God and your Guru is surrender. You won’t win. Don’t get into the argument. I am a little more balanced now. I have a very logical mind and Master very often encouraged my thinking or my suggestion, but sometimes I think I gave more than he cared or needed to hear and one time he said to me, he said “just remember in all of your logic you could lose much wisdom.” That’s absolutely true. And I gave up a lot of the rationalization, and Master’s wisdom became like an open book of wonderful realizations and perhaps that was why he felt that I could contribute something to the publication of his writings because I was not interested in making it anything other than what Master had said and intended. And I always knew when I had achieved at least a little of that when a copy would be brought to him. He would say “See what you have done.” He so sweetly blessed me. Sometimes he gave us firm blessings. I liked those particularly because I thought well maybe that one will really stick!
Master has just given no matter what our problems are no matter our insecurities no matter our difficulties Master has given us the way of the sadhana, not necessarily to escape but to have nothing but a joyful free life, a way to overcome as he loves to hear lectures on being victorious, being conquerors of one’s self and of one’s upbringing.
It’s very hard for me to prepare but as these monks and nuns— I know I listen to their classes— I’m just so inspired and appreciative of how organized they are, but I’m supposed to condense a big subject that I wanted to say to you into a few minutes. I’m taking more of Bro. Achlananda’s time.
There’s absolutely no reason to think we’re not progressing. Master would always say Just keep on as you are, meditating and serving God, and you’ll wake up having made it further than you thought possible. Ma would say “I’m waiting to wake up.” Working on Gurudev’s writings letters and scriptures I was asking Master what to say to Devotees so they will know they are progressing. So how do we help them know they are progressing? First thing that comes to mind practice Kriya yoga everyday faithfully and with devotion. Kriya works—it’s mathematical.
You don’t have to figure out the problems of the universe or how the body works. We don’t tell the body to breathe or to see. The body knows what to do. It’s part of God’s creation, God’s natural law. Kriya yoga is the science of the soul and how the soul looks after the body. You are realizing the spiritual potential God has placed within you. Don’t doubt it it’s really smart. You don’t need to use your logic to tell Kriya Yoga how to work. It knows. When you do kriya yoga, you are automatically stimulating spiritual principles. You don’t have to think. It knows—God knows far before you have to rationalize it. You read the Gita. Each one of you thinks you know Me. You forget that the sum total of that is a conglomeration of all of the things you have thought, done, desired over eons of incarations. Not only do we gather effects of God and erroneous actions Kriya magnetizes our life force in the spiritual centers, and helps to dislodge effects of some of the actions.
Samskars—the little traces of past life habits and thoughts–they influence more than we can begin to see. They influence who we are and what we do. An analogy in India that tells a tale. Master wanted to speak about. It’s a sacred ritual to bathe in holy water in the Ganges. But when one goes to take a holy dip because his Bad habits and sins don’t like that action, they sit on the banks. When he’s out they jump back into the body.
These Samskars make up our character and behavior. They are influenced by what we think. They are activated. Master didn’t like people around him in a dark mood. Master was stringent about anyone coming around him in a mood. Master would tell them to go—“Don’t bring that mood around me.”
When you are doing your kriya meditation don’t think something is not happening. You are being changed every time you practice meditate deeply. Master says take the deep effects of meditation and don’t let life get your goat. Don’t let life and its irritations take that away from you. Practice the presence. When we leave meditation we should take with us some special feeling, blessing or realization, especially if we’ve taken some special quality we want to better in ourselves. The mind goes to that and you feel God’s blessing. Take with you that thought. Then the instant your second nature, your samskars, when something contrary to what you want to feel, the moment that past bad habit comes up, just instantly recall and practice the presence. Think of God. Think of the Guru. Think of their help. “Oh God—I have this problem. Fix it.”
Sometimes it helps more if when we think of God and Guru we think of one of their qualities we want to manifest. If you find you’re getting irritable, feel you are God’s peace. Change your thought and you will change yourself. Then you are working on God thought. There’s a metaphysical battle between maya and meditation. We don’t think of it, but we are being purified. There’s a psychological battle—Get rid of characteristics that are unbecoming of one who wants God-realization and God-communion. Changing a thought is practicing the presence. Think of a quality of God and Guru or your soul and affirm it firmly. If your mind is affirming that quality, you’ll see how quickly the negative quality is quelled.
Our blessed Sister Gynamata had so much wisdom about spiritual growth. In an assuring thought regarding realization and growth she said “I have come to measure spiritual advancement, not only in the light that surrounds one in meditation but by what he is able to endure in the cold hard light of day. Perhaps I might have forgotten this truth except that Guru said it is an ultimate realization. All saints had it. I always remember it when I want to find a way around a problem that seems too much for me. Our spiritual advancement is in the case of overcoming not escaping. There is no escape. If there was a a way Master would have given it to us. It’s not so hard to overcome if we do the easy things the saints tell us to do. It doesn’t sound easy to endure but that’s all that’s left to us. Master will come back again and again as long as there is a man or woman waiting by the wayside.
Titiksha—that means endurance, not just grit your teeth and bear it, but to overcome it by doing everything we can to have peace and evenness of mind and an understanding of divine unity. Meditate, gather the calmness and love. Practice it in affirmation and prayer when something starts to disturb your mind.
Moods are bad habits of the past that you are stifling. Master was quick to tell us to avoid criticism or suggestions. Let me get out of this even more. Master didn’t avoid criticism or counsel. We’re used to certain ways of doing things. Our samskars have to go. Stop and think. Where is it? Why am I upset? If those thoughts can make me miserable then think divine thoughts. Master would never let any of us say I Can’t. or I don’t like or I dislike. Master just taught us through simple experiences. He’d create them and if you didn’t react well he’d say go think about it.
Next time you feel discouraged about meditation or think about cutting it short you’re cheating yourself.
Oh dear ones I’m afraid that I chose a subject that has a lot of technicals. I want to leave you with this thought. Somewhere, sometime in the past I must have done something very good to have the presence of Gurudev.—That his life completely transformed the life of Rajarsi. Rajarsi Janakananda metamorphosized so many times after Master passed and I would take it as coming from Master.
“I want you all to be channels of God’s love and message of brotherhood and unity.” That is what this world needs and that is what kriya yoga will do. Kriya yogis will bring the light of God into their lives and reflect it out to the world. This will change the world. Master said intuitive and beautiful things to us. Sometimes God just literally took over and spoke through him. Master would say if you knew what you were doing…..This is the greatest thing, and it will change the world. It needs to change. Manifesting God’s kingdom on earth through saintly channels, through God’s children, through the divine.
I have to speak whatever I feel. I feel I have received so much from being with Paramahansa Yogananda and Rajarsi Janakananda—what sweet kind loving channels of God they were. Daya was a spiritual mother to Master’s work. I followed Faye—wanted to become more like Faye from the earlier days of the work until now.
I have such a divine friendship, in latter years especially. We talk about Master and our experiences. You can all have that kind of divine relationship with your Guru and with the saints of this path.
The title (of President) means nothing but a blessed privilege because I receive so much from the great ones before me. They are the light. As Ma said, “Don’t look to me. Look to Master. He is the light.” We are successors. We replace nothing. We only follow. In Ma’s last hours, Master took her to the light.
That’s my one desire and responsibility: live and absorb what they have given of their lives. What a joy. What a divine family. Master said “We must work hard and be beacons of light, spreading brotherhood around the world.” It’s our task as children of God to spread the spirit of love. Whatever I have done in this world will last forever. That is why the lord sent me here. I will work for that brotherhood and in that fatherhood of God. It is our task as children of God to strive to spread the spirit of love.
In honoring the 150th anniversary of the resurrection of the technique of the salvation for this age that we know in this age of Kriya yoga. Babaji said to Sri Yukteswar I will send you a disciple who will spread kriya to the west. Babaji saw each one of us as a potential saint because the soul is perfect. Babaji perceived you—do you realize that? Everyone is a potential saint because the soul is perfect. I perceive potential saints awaiting to be awakened, so let’s not let him find us sleeping. Be awake and ready!
May thy greatest blessings be constantly with thee even through eternity, and feeling their presence ever in the dream of incarnation. Be thou lord the only king reigning in their hears. All my love, devotion, and loyalty I pour at their feet. They alone art my beloved. May they see thy presence beyond the dream of this life. What words shall I speak but from the sincerity of my heart. The greatest gift I can bestow is to awaken thy love in their hearts.
Dear Ones, it’s my blessing to be here this evening. Know that all of the monastics think of you everyday in the worldwide prayers and individual prayers. We thank you so deeply for the beautiful bouquet of souls that you are. You are a part of the bouquet of souls Master is offering at the feet of God.
Do your kriya. Have faith in it. Know that it is working. It’s the science of life and the science of God-realization. It is awakening that spirituality that is our divine inheritance. Then we have to face the sorrows, bitter and sweet, just do it with the evenmindedness that Master taught us. When delusion comes say that’s not me, those thoughts aren’t me. Think whatever thought you want to be. Say it like a firm command, and the samskars willtuck their tails and go away. You defeat the samskar energy by taking away its power. That’s how you defeat the enemy. You take away its power. Do and be good in this world. You have to bring it out into the cold light of day and express it.
Life lived with the thought of God becomes a bright luminous vibration that affects all around spreading to all corners of the world. Master said: “We have millions and millions of such kriya yogis.” We are all just little flicks of light of the souls of God that drive away the shadows.
I will close with a personal word of thank you to so many of you. Your dear thoughts of love, flowers and gifts. Forgive me if I can’t keep up with all the personal acknowledgements. Just know that each token, each thought affects me deeply. I have such appreciation for divine love and friendship. What a tremendous support divine friendship is. All of you should feel the same way. You have such divine friends. Gurudev was a friend. I was in awe many times. I would withdraw and not say much—I’d be silent around Gurudev. Then I got into trouble with Master. How do you tell someone who is so filled with God? What can you say? You just give your heart. Gurudev was that kind of a friend. You’d just give your love. Guru is unconditional but the only way you can receive that love is to be unconditionally receptive.
I owe Bro. Achalananda a great something. He had a deep subject tonight.
Dear Ones you have to turn off your magnetism. There’s so much to say, yet dear ones there’s so little to say. Master once said to me: “ One day you will have many to train. Don’t look for them. They will come to you.” Then I thought, “Oh My”.
Audience laughs!
So Dear Ones I have nothing to give you except what I receive from Master and Ma. With greatest humility I am happy to share. Thank you so much. I hope you realize the fullest potential of this pilgrimage where you come together with your spiritual family from around the world. We receive you and love you with all our hearts. Thank you for your support of the work, with your centers and groups and your individual temples in your hearts. Fill your heart temple with God’s love. Jai Guru! Jai Ma! Thank you for your support of Guruji and each one of us. God Bless you! I love you all!
Master once said to me: “For years I prayed for a silent disciple and now that I’ve gotten one I don’t know that to do with her.” And as she left the stage, after speaking for 90 minutes, Mrinalini Mata commented: “Now maybe tonight I’ve made up for it.”
Convocation 2011 – “Mastering the Techniques of Meditation – Part II” ~ Brother Ritananda
(DISCLAIMER: These notes are our best attempt to capture the essence of what was said at this class. There is always a degree of human error involved when taking notes and we have transcribed them to the best of our ability.)
In Dwapara Yuga, our consciousness is refined enough for scientific technique. Scientific meditation is a catalyst and accelerator to God.
The Kriya package Guruji devised all work together. There’s a synergy and one technique helps the other. It’s good to review the techniques once a year. Part of doing our best is to apply the science to the best of our ability. If you can’t attend a review then pull out the lessons.
Our proof and the realization of God’s presence will satisfy us. We can realize God’s presence in one life time. We receive Kriya at the end of our spiritual path. Kriya helps to calm the body, still the mind, and transcend the ego. Now that we’re in Dwapara Yuga we have the intelligence to do kriya.
On the altar of this stillness, God’s presence can be known. But don’t take Guruji’s word for it. Meditate and find out for yourself. Meditation brings proof of God’s existence.
Listening to the vibratory sound of Aum, human consciousness becomes enlarged. Use the concentrated mind to tune into God. We use that concentrated mind to move forward.
Attune your consciousness to God’s frequency. He is broadcasting all the time as the Aum vibration.
The Aum is the witness – the force that created all creation.
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali advised us to meditate on the Aum to actually contact God.
Tune into God’s consciousness. Feel the oneness with God.
1. Attunement – Aum is the bridge between human consciousness and God consciousness. “Behold I stand at the door and knock.”
2. Expansion of Consciousness – You will feel your consciousness expanding. We have to expand our consciousness. Hear the trumpets. God is infinite.
Aum is the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. The invisible ghost-like intelligence in creation that guides all forms of creation and matter. Jesus said of the Holy Ghost: the great comforter will come. He will teach you all things. Kriya yoga is the blessed fulfillment of the promise of Christ.
Man must receive the Holy Ghost to receive God. A means to salvation.
To get inspired to meditate we must meditate. Today’s meditation will stimulate your desire to meditate tomorrow. Cultivate that habit.
Ma said to meditate at least 5 minutes morning and evening. There’s tremendous power in regularity.
It’s best to meditate 30 minutes in the morning and one hour in the evening. But do what you can and built on that. Create the habit. Make God a priority.
Carve out time for God and meditate. “It is he who struggles who finds favor with God.” ~ Master
Pain is a prod to remembrance. Remember who you truly are by contacting God. The prospect of pain can be your motivation.
Set aside a place for meditation. You’ll form vibrations in that area. It is easier to meditate if you have a place with vibrations to go to. It will be of help to you in the battle of maya. Permeate with prayer and affirmations.
Asana/Posture – the priority of posture is to have an erect spine. The guidelines are scientific, but make adjustments that you need to.
Gaze – God can be contacted through the spiritual eye. Gently lift the gaze. Let go of the tension in the eyes.
2011 Convocation – “My Heart’s Aflame, My Soul’s Afire: Igniting Our Spiritual Enthusiasm” ~ Brother Santoshananda
(DISCLAIMER: These notes are our best attempt to capture the essence of what was said at this class. There is always a degree of human error involved when taking notes and we have transcribed them to the best of our ability.)
Love and joy to all of you.
Convocation is all about finding joy, finding what we are all about. To find our true nature, our joy, our essence of who we are. That place within us that we want to realize more and more.
It’s special to be among you because we are a family – ashram or no ashram — reunited together for the same goal – to find our souls, to find God within.
What is our true home? The goal of convocation is that our true home is always inside us. Our own vibrations. Om sweet Om. Our true home. No matter where we go we carry that home.
We are always at the right place.
Convocation has a special purpose – beneficial to ourselves and others. Convocation is all about feeling divine love. The spiritual vibration is there and we need to become more aware of our own loving vibrations. Return home with the vibration that supports you and is beneficial to others.
The Om vibration supports us and others – this is what the Gita says. Right actions are actions that are beneficial to ourselves and others at the same time.
We need to be conscious of our actions and not do automatic action. “My actions will be good for the totality of where I am at that moment.”
Learn to put God first in your life. Seek the truth. The truth will make you free.
One time Rajarsi was meditating with initiates and one person asked for an interpretation from the Gita. Rajarsi left and came back later full of joy and told him, “if you want to know, you have to come where I am.”
What is truth? He who knows does not tell. He who tells does not know.
Truth is found in the silence. The truth just is. It can be revealed through the Om vibration. Realized in meditation. When you realize the truth you become free.
In Autobiography of a Yogi, Master tells us what the truth is not. Not this, not that. Remove obstructions and the truth appears. Remove the dirt from the window and the sun comes in. Same with ourselves. Remove obstructions and you are more free.
The truth has exact correspondence with reality, but what is reality? We have to create our own reality.
Truth is no theory. No speculative system. No philosophy. No intellectual insight. Truth is the exact concept of reality. Truth is unshakeable knowledge of our own nature. Realization of who we are. Becoming aware of our souls.
You see things as they are and not how they “should” be. Seeing with the eyes of our soul, with the spiritual eye. Not with the two mortal eyes.
Raise your consciousness. Follow the path of freedom, of speaking the truth, of who you are supposed to be.
Practicing yoga is half of the battle. If you go on practicing, you will have a tremendous longing for God. Why don’t you make the effort?
We want to want God. We want to have God. That’s all we want. We want just God. That’s all we want because that’s all there is.
We have to create enthusiasm to connect ourselves with spirit. An inspiration from within. But sometimes we don’t feel enthusiastic.
“Enthusiasm is the virtue of all virtues because no virtue in safe if there is no enthusiasm.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
You need spirit to sustain your enthusiasm. If you feel enthusiasm, you connect yourself with the spirit. When you feel motivated, you have desire for God.
Affirmation: “I am eternal laughter. My smiles are dancing through all faces. I am the wave of enthusiasm in all God-tamed hearts.”
Attunement with God gives us spiritual enthusiasm. Nothing is achieved without enthusiasm. Very important to keep on. Attune yourself with God more and more.
Yoga is a path of awakening. Wake, my children, wake.
Awaken yourself to your own true nature. Awaken from darkness to light, from sorrow to joy, from death to immortality.
Our heart is aflame, our soul afire. Beginning of this chant is “in the valley of sorrow.”
You can live your whole life in the valley of sorrow and not know it. Until you awaken yourself.
Awakening from the valley of sorrow. The story of Job. A man of God who had everything – thousands of sheep and cattle, donkeys, a wife, sons and daughters. The greatest man in the east. Calamity descended upon him and he lost everything. Sons and daughters were killed, lost his land and animals, lost everything. He couldn’t understand why bad things happen to good people. Then he heard the voice of God. God said (paraphrased), “Be silent and I will teach you understanding. Stop lamenting, stop feeling sorry for yourself. Be silent and I will teach you the truth.”
The real answer will come from the silence from within yourself and nobody else. Even the Guru will point you to the way, but the truth will come when you are silent.
Job was a very righteous man. God said to him, “Thinkest thou are right?” Don’t question God’s righteousness. “Listen, I will answer. Look up to heaven and behold the clouds which are higher than thou. Nothing belongs to you.” Then Job became awakened. Everything belongs to God. Job awakened to his own divine reality. God is behind everything.
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Surrender to the will of God.
When Job surrendered to God, God gave everything back to Job two-fold.
Do we have to go through pain to find God? Can you meditate and go to God to find God and not have pain? Master said both questions are right.
We know how much pain and suffering there is in this world. In SRF we teach ourselves how to heal ourselves from pain and suffering. It’s very important to pray for others during meditation. Do the prayer circle. Send God’s holy vibrations to others.
The spirit of Guruji is in Mrinalini Mata. The living spirit.
Take an active part in God’s world movement. “If you are as interested as I am, you can change the world.” ~ Master
Unquenchable enthusiasm is the path we are following.
St. Paul – only by God’s grace can ye be saved.
Yogic formula is 25% of our own effort, 25% is the Guru’s effort, and 50% is the grace of God.
Do your 25%!
The Guru is God’s boatman. He leads us to the shore of divine fulfillment. The Guru invites us into the boat, but in order for the boat to move, we have to raise the sail – we have to do our 25% — and if we do that and raise the sail, we’ll catch the breeze of God and sail to the shore of divine immortality.
Follow the Guru. The Guru leads our boat of realization. But we have to raise our own sails. We have to carry this home. The more we raise our sails, we raise our consciousness and feel greater freedom and joy. On the way, God will give us some free samples of love and joy.
The joy and happiness that we so desire is nothing more than what we already are.
To be grateful is grace. All we have to do is raise our sails and improve our knowing.
Let us keep raising our sails!
2011 Convocation – “Uncovering Your Hidden Spiritual Strength” ~ Brother Satyananda, Sunday, August 7, 2011 – Lake Shrine Temple
(DISCLAIMER: These notes are our best attempt to capture the essence of what was said at this class. There is always a degree of human error involved when taking notes and we have transcribed them to the best of our ability.)
We have hidden spiritual strength that is hiding behind dark thoughts, behind emotional fears. It remains in hiding as long as we give priority to dark thoughts. How do we react when a crisis hits? You will feel it in a crisis when you push fears aside.
August is Janmashtami month for Krishna. Janmashtami is held on August 22nd.
Today’s story of Krishna takes place in the city of Dwarka (peninsula of India) at the end of Krishna’s life. Krishna lived over 100 years and was a pure incarnation of God who came to restore righteousness. Krishna was the founder of this city, and soon after he died, the city was consumed by the flood waters of the Arabian Sea.
Narada, a disciple of Krishna, asked for an audience with Krishna. He told Krishna that he heard the angels calling Krishna back to the celestial spheres. Krishna agreed to go back home to the celestial spheres. There were lunar eclipses, flashes of light, powerful electrical storms that portended the departure of Krishna.
Before his passing, Krishna counseled his people to live wisely, righteously and virtuously. He called together leaders and loved ones to his palace—to his Sudharma meeting room. He advised them to make pilgrimages and to reside south to the city of Navasa and near the temple of Soma. When the city of Dwarka perished by flood waters, those who did not go south perished.
Uddhava, a loyal disciple and personal aid and diplomat to Krishna, asked Krishna, “please don’t leave me. Take me with you, Krishna.” Krishna’s response: “The world needs righteous men. The world needs you, Uddhava.”
Krishna walked out of the palace and into his natural forested garden with Uddhava. He comforts him knowing he will be leaving soon and Uddhava will have to carry on alone. This conversation is recorded in the “Uddhava Gita”.
Here are a few highlights from the teachings that come from the “Uddhava Gita”:
1. The world is a dream. Formless cosmic spirit offers the substance of existence. It is great cosmic consciousness. Sat-Chit-Ananda. Cosmic consciousness manifests illusory dream consciousness.
The dream of life is transitory. We as conscious beings are not a part of the dream. We are part of the dreamer. We are eternal existence, consciousness and bliss.
The dreamer – the act of dreaming – the objects of the dream. There is one dream consciousness. We have existence, consciousness and joy. We are eternal and are only dreaming this temporary existence. When we awake in spirit we recognize we are one cosmic consciousness.
The Buddha had radiance in his eyes. When devotees asked him why, he said: “I am awake!”
This radiance is a component of an awakening from a dream to the realization of who we really are. When we awake we remember.
We don’t know what we were before birth or who we will be after death. But meditation helps us to remember experiences, to recollect a greater awareness of who we are in truth. Meditation helps us to clear stuff away. Meditation helps us awake to find profound truths of our own existence. So much has been forgotten. We have much to remember from all our past lives.
Our past experiences in this life seem like a dream. Life is a dream.
Uddhava asks Krishna: “How does a spiritual person live in this dream world?” Krishna replies, “Look at me, Uddhava. I have no bondage to the world and its activities. Live a normal life but do not become dependent upon conditions to give you fulfillment. Be detached. Practice non-attachment. Look on the world with non-attachment.”
Things are ever-changing. We become attached. We suffer things beyond our control. In this duality we become confined and confused. Do not rely on the conditions of daily life for happiness.
If you want sustainable happiness, it can only come from within—draw on your inner resources to find sustainable happiness.
We will find a flowing peace in meditation. There’s only one place to fine pure joy and that is within yourself.
We cannot control this world of duality. We have to sweep away fears, doubts and uncertainties in meditation.
2. The Chatak bird lives at the top of the trees. This bird drinks only from the dew from the leaves and the rain from heaven. Krishna tells Uddhava to live like the chatak bird. Live at the top of the tree. Drink the rain that falls from heaven. Live from the sun from heaven. Life a pure life.
The spine is the tree of life. The lower centers have energy that tends to be connected with body and senses. Upper centers are connected with the spiritual centers, with spiritual awakenings.
Take your consciousness up. Transmute everything into divinity. Live at the top of the tree. Where your energy is, there your consciousness will be. Live in the higher centers. Live in the high trees.
3. Uddhava asked Krishna, “What kind of devotee is most dear to you, Krishna?” Krishna replied, “Intellectual understanding doesn’t please me as much as simple bhakti.” (simple, dedicated bhakti = love). Be devotional, not intellectual. Krishna is most impressed by simple devotion.
Chapter 18 in the Gita: Absorb thy mind in me. Krishna urges disciples to lift the mind from the plane of the senses. Identify with God in the heart and you will cease to be entangled in the world.
We have hidden spiritual strength. It lurks and waits for our consciousness to clear. Strengths from within. We pray and receive calm and comfort. This is when you are at your best. When you are calm – when you call forth your inner strength. As we absorb ourselves in pure spiritual aspirations, we make spirit available to us.
Oneness is the Divine presence within. Call upon this truth for realization. True spirituality comes from a personal spiritual search.
We are on a personal spiritual quest—True spirituality comes as a result of a spiritual quest; it’s a very personal quest and out of the quest comes one who is wiser than we are – the Guru. The teacher is there to give us a spiritual path.
View creation as a dream drama. Live high as the chatak bird. Be unattached. Find within yourself strength. Perform spiritual actions with a pure motive.
Meditate to clear the consciousness.
Open your heart and mind to feel joy, and you will find the ability to give peace to others in times of crisis.