2013 Self-Realization Fellowship World Convocation

2013 Convocation – “Satsanga” ~ Brother Balananda

Question: What about meditation and heart rate? What if you have a pacemaker, would it prevent having Kriya?

It is quite all right usually; you can still go deep and achieve Samadhi. After all, we are the soul, not the heart.

Question: A friend moved to a community without a meditation group. He is first year and has trouble meditating alone.

When you are meditating you are with all the Gurus. Call on them to be with you. Brother Anandamoy tells how we got a 16 by 20 picture of Master and felt He was right with him. He prayed, “Master, help me to go deeper, you must help me.” A few days later Master came to him and said that he would go deeper. Tune in with the Master when you meditate, never meditate alone. Call on Him before each meditation.

Before I went into the ashram, I went on a back packing trip in AZ. In mid-week I was in a long green valley. I could hear the wind with strong intensity but by mid-afternoon it was still and peaceful. I closed my eyes and a gnat came and crawled across my eyes. I said to myself, “No, I will practice concentration. This happened 3, 4, 5 times. Finally I said to myself that Master was here and having some fun with me. I became peaceful and that turned to joy and expansion. It turned out the gnat was just a lock of my hair that made me concentrate and go deep. It was my thought, I thought of Master as NEAR and He was.

We have about 1,000 thoughts an hour and we must make them work for us instead of feeling negativity. “I am infinite, tireless, space-less, endless bliss. With Master by my side I can overcome any obstacle. I am a child of God, nothing can stop me!” Master said to change our thoughts if we wish to change our circumstances. Think good thoughts, we can choose our thoughts.

Question: A friend of mine is depressed and suicidal. How can I help him?

Seven years ago I receive training in how to handle suicidal calls. I learned 7 steps.

1) Listen, let him express himself, then he will be more able to hear what we have to say. Empathize with him.

2) Express your concern and your hope he will not take his life. Feelings can change.

3) Suicide is not a viable option. Taking one’s life does not solve the problem. All pain and anguish goes with you into the astral. And it violates a Commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.”

4) Give them hope; we know people who persevered through the pain and anguish, are now okay.

5) Tell them God and Guru loves them.

6) Make a pact with the caller, that they may must promise to call the Suicide Prevention Line, before making a suicidal attempt.

7) Refer them to a suicidal hot line. We always recommend 1-800-SUICIDE, which is available 24/7.

Our Guru said, if you feel a desire to suicide, rise above it and be more detached, remember you are a child of God. Try to separate yourself from the body; you are the soul. Become anchored in that which is infinite, right with us, all the time.

Question: Several in our group are very critical and self-absorbed. What to do?

Day Mata said that so long as we are filled with any negation, we cannot experience God. The more we don’t focus on the negative, the better. Focus on the positive. Don’t add your 2 cents to something negative someone has to say.

In 1954 someone said something negative about Brother Premamoy. Brother Turiyananda said, “That is not the Premamoy that I know.” We can’t change anyone, we can only change ourselves. When we are criticized, remain silent, introspect. If the criticism is correct, change. If it is not correct, don’t accept it.

Remember, Master uses others to teach us, for our highest good. Everything comes from God. If someone is mean and spiteful, they must really be hurting, pray for them. Take the road less traveled. It matters a great deal how you treat others. Be first to reach out, praise others. Don’t wait for others to change, change yourself.

Question: I read not to be distressed by success or failure. Then what is the purpose of prayer and will power?

This is a world of duality, good-bad, happy-sad, success-failure. No matter, remain calm and even-minded. Even failure is a stepping stone to success. Make up your mind to go forward like a flame. There is nothing you cannot accomplish. Keep trying, don’t give up~~if you die trying, it will bear fruit in the next life. All great men and women had/have the quality of perseverance. Like the saints, we need to surrender the specific timing into God’s capable hands. “Guide Thou my reason, will and activity to the right thing that I should do.”

Question: How do you meditate while traveling with a non-meditating spouse?

Meditate before your spouse wakes up or after they fall asleep. Give your spouse unconditional, divine friendship and love. If given, that will help your spouse help you.

Question: Regarding Marriage

If you follow SRF marriage vows, you will have a happy marriage. Strive to attain those goals.

If your marriage is in deep trouble, do the following:

1) Make sure you meditate and follow the techniques together, give service, and keep bodies fit. Strive for balance.
2) Use lesson 61, marriage prayer.
3) Put yourselves on the SRF prayer list.
4) Listen to Brother Anandamoy’s Spiritual Marriage CD together.
5) Read lessons 58-62 together, especially lesson 61.
6) Practice the Peace and Harmony prayer.
7) Take a conducted retreat together.
8) Go to Convocation together.
9) Do some recreation you both like.
10) Meditate together as often as possible, the most powerful way to connect.
11) Verbally agree to meditate together.
12) Get marriage counseling if you can’t fix it yourselves.

If you can’t change, these problems continue into the next marriage. It is okay to part if you can’t fix it. Love them still.

Question: If guardian angels exist, what are they?

Daya Mata said that Master is our guardian angel. He takes on that role and it is far beyond a guardian angel. “He is far beyond qualities and thoughts.”

References to angels are common in the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. Everything we need is in our Lessons. Like a mother, Master feeds us in doses we can handle.

I met a Phoenix devotee, Ricardo, and he told me this story.

When he was 8, his family went to Seal Beach in California. The father rented a raft boat and they went out into the ocean. They were carried far out into the ocean and the waves were very big. They saw people on the beach pointing to them. Ricardo did not know how to swim. A big wave knocked him off the boat and he began to drown. He said that he realizes every day that he was sinking way down and his lungs began to hurt. He was very afraid, sure he was drowning. Then he was enveloped in a great, bright light and had a wonderful feeling of being surrounded by a divine presence, of great love. Then a loud voice said, “Ricardo, are you ready to cross over?” He replied “no,” and instantly his head burst through to the surface. His sister grabbed his hair and pulled him into the raft boat. He said he realized other worlds right within this one and there were angelic beings, and he felt no fear of death.

Ricardo lived in Los Angeles and fear of death in LA is smart, but he felt unafraid. He began to be in a gang, abused drugs and alcohol. But each time he heard that loud voice that told him to do certain things, he followed the guidance. He said he could not count how many times the voices saved his life. In his early 20’s, his family moved to Phoenix.

The voices came back and Ricardo asked, “What am I to do?”

The voice said, “Be a journalist.”

“Can I make a good living?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“Go to college.”

He did, and was the first in his family to do so. He has now been a journalist over 25 years and has had major assignments, has won many awards. In 1998, he returned to Phoenix for his mother’s funeral. He decided to stay in Phoenix. Then 4 years ago he met Sharon, a professional woman, single and a devotee. She invited him to the Christmas fellowship, and he heard her sing and she melted his heart. He began to want to learn about SRF. He was impressed by all the materials, book after book. He devoured it and embraced the path. A month later, at the Christmas meditation he heard Master’s voice and he realized it was the voice who had been helping him since age 8. He gazed lovingly at Master’s picture and thanked Him for guidance and for Sharon, for the path, for the tools for self-realization. He felt Master smile at him every time.

That is how the Guru is in our lives, life after life. Who else can love us like this. He is a hundred million mothers, rolled into one.

Thursday night at Convocation is always Guru night. It is the only subject that is repeated year after year.

2013 Convocation – “Satsanga” ~ Brother Bhumananda

Question: What is life like in the astral realm? What is the purpose? Is it similar to earth? Why is life so difficult?

Read in AY the chapter on the Resurrection of Sri Yukteswar – the Discourse of the nature of creation and the journey of the soul. Also read the PY article in the 2010 Sp/Sum SRF Magazine on connecting your life with the astral world.

This physical world will always be a difficult place in which to live; by contrast, the astral world is harmonious – filled with God’s light and joy. It is like life in the slums compared to life in the beautiful homes of the upper class. Live in the consciousness of your finer astral body.

We have to go through a period of purification to get to the astral and the higher planes (read the closing chapter of the AY – the anvil quote). This is a wonderful opportunity to move forward. We have our work cut out for us; it is a tremendous opportunity to liberate our own lives. The astral is a vacation from a struggle. We don’t die; we wake up in love and joy for an astral vacation. The ticket to a higher astral ground is not cheap. If you lead a bad life, you will go to a lower level of the astral. There you can work out that heavy karma and advance to a higher level. If you make no effort to improve or help people, you will not go to a very great place

If we sincerely strive to live for God, we will certainly go to a higher level of the astral. Every time we do Kriya, we advance. It is a temporary destination, not our goal. It is not free from mental agonies. Even the beautiful astral world cannot satisfy the soul. Our soul craves for freedom from all worlds, to unite with spirit. The way to freedom is to overcome wrong desires. Make the most of your time here and now. Meditation burns up wrong desires. Ask this one question: If I go that way, Lord, will it bring me closer to You or farther from you?

If we meditate regularly, we will have a strong habit in the next life. If you meditate now, you will remember and advance more rapidly in your life.

Question: Should devotees explain things to new members?

Twenty years ago few of us knew of the Internet. Now it profoundly affects our lives. It is a tool, to be used best with discrimination. Our use of the Internet is tamasic if used to go to bad sites, such as porn. It can keep us up too late to meditate. It is a gate to the restlessness of the world. But the internet can also be used for good – it depends on your usage and if it uplifts you and inspires you to seek God.

There is nothing wrong with sharing inspiration with others. Don’t discuss the teachings with others, go to meditation. Suggest others go to the SRF website. You will never find time for meditation; you have to make time for it.

Question: If we are what we have done over eons, why are some of us ugly?

That may not be the best affirmation! If you could see the astral body, it would be radiant. What it comes down to is how the face and body look is not very important. Physical beauty is a fleeting thing. This body is not permanent. There was a very beautiful young woman in Encinitas. Daya Mata said, “You are very beautiful but you must work on the lasting beauty of the inner self.” Many saints were not beautiful. Cultivate devotion, and meditate to beautify the soul. When we meditate we all become pregnant and get that “Inner glow.” We are radiant with peace and joy. Spiritual beauty comes from God, positive thinking, and meditation. Work on inner beauty.

Question: Will the energization exercises make me fat?

No, but if you feel so good afterwards that you run into the kitchen and eat a lot of food, then you might get fat. Be moderate, especially with heavy starches and fats. The vegetarian diet is best, with regular exercise. What you strongly tell your body to do, will happen. Do your best.

Daya Ma said that mind power can help you to lose or gain weight.

Karma needs a channel to flow through. Body pain could be that channel.

Some years ago I went to a doctor and told the nurse my problems. She said,”Mr. Moskowitz, there are better things to live for than the body.” I realized it was coming from Master. I told her later and she said, “I never told you that.” I said, “Yes, you did.” God first, God alone, God all the time.

Question: I consider my Guru is Jesus. Do I have to give up Jesus to go to Master?

Absolutely not. Jesus is one of our Gurus; He is and always will be one of ours. Master told us they drank from the same cup of divine love. Your relationship with Christ will grow deeper. Master established the 6 hour meditation at Christmas time. You will know Jesus like never before. You will gain and understanding of Christ as a great yogi.

Question: We are told to meditate with devotion. How will we know if we have enough devotion?

God watches the heart. You can be perfect in your spiritual routine, but the heart has to be involved. The sincere yearning to love God. We have to go after God with such eagerness and sincerity that we leave no doubts with Him. The Searcher of hearts wants your sincere love. The Lord will not reject the smallest offering.

In a free moment, close your eyes and say, ‘I love you, God.’ To want to feel love for God is to love God. Keep trying. ‘Lord, I am Thine. I offer all I am and all I hope to be at Your blessed Feet. Please receive me.’

Meditate with the thought of loving and pleasing God. Don’t meditate for results – just meditate to offer God love. Affirm, “help me to love you more deeply, more perfectly.”

Less and less think of yourself. You very much care about your Beloved God and try to please Him. Yearn to feel the love of God and to be immersed in that Love. There is tremendous power in devotion. There is no more self – there is only God. Act purely for the love of God. Do all that is in you to love God. Only God. God alone.

2013 Convocation – “Achieving Your Material and Spiritual Goals” ~ Brother Chidananda

“Let every beat of my heart be a new word in my endless love lyric to Thee. May every sound from my lips carry secret vibrations of Thy voice. Let my every thought be bliss-saturated with Thy presence. May every act of my will be impregnated with Thy divine vitality. Ornament with Thy grace my every concept, every expression, every ambition. O Divine Sculptor, chisel Thou my life to Thy design!” ~Whispers from Eternity

A man went into bookstore to buy a book for a friend. The clerk said, “Would you like a religious book?” “No” he said, “He’s not that bad off.”

If you practice one-millionth of the things in the teachings, you will reach God.

Master exuded light, joy, and bliss. By applying the techniques, we will touch or we can feel God’s love and bliss.

Master introduced the concept of the Art of Living – How to Live. Some say that they know how to live. Well, that is what Job thought. Job had it all – prosperity, family, good health, and respect. Then he lost it all. He whined to God, “Why me? I’ve done everything right, this is so unfair. Why did you make the world so unfair?”

Sister Gyanamata said that difficulties develop steal – the muscles in our soul. Without them, we’d be spiritual creampuffs.

The Lord answered Job in a whirlwind. God wanted him to move out of the victim role. God must have thought, “Who is this totally clueless idiot who is telling me how to do my job?”

Mrinalina Mata said that Master worked a lot of devotees Karma on himself. She was distraught and said told him, “But master, it is so unfair. Why does Divine Mother allow this?” He looked at her with a very stern voice and said, “First, become Divine Mother, then you can criticize her. When you become Divine Mother, you will be just like her.” What if we could see and appreciate why our lives as they do?

A Christian mystic once said, “Praise for everything. Praise for it all.”

We don’t think we should shout for joy over all the pain of life.

Some people completely drown out the sound of creation. We hear static in our untuned nervous systems. The process of sadhana is to get the nervous system back in tune. Without sadhana, the nervous system is a very noisy and confusing place. All of our suffering comes from the unturned nervous system.

We can convert ourselves to vibrate with the song of the infinite. Spiritualize yourself so that the divine melody of life will flow through you, no matter what you are doing. Spiritualize yourself – become the spirit. That’s sadhana. Master talks about apotheosis in the last chapter of AY. Apotheosis – elevation to divine status or deification.

Life after life each person progresses at his own pace to the goal of his own apotheosis.

In the end we will achieve our divinity, no matter how erratic we are along the way. We cannot lose – even if sometimes it seems that we are.

Affirmation and visualization are just the beginning. Because man is a divine being, even to ask questions initiates a dialogue between us and many unseen forces in the universe. We learn to activate these forces through the law of attraction. This law will bring in what we want.

But there comes a point where the soul realizes there are no material goals – there are only spiritual goals. You think you want or need prosperity and human love, but behind these it is your Father calling you. You cry out in loneliness until you realize that God is the only reality in the universe.

There is a Zen story about a monk being asked what he did before enlightenment and he said, “I chopped wood and carried water.” What do you do now? “I chop wood and carry water, but with a whole different state of consciousness.”

The one who manifests spiritual consciousness does the same things as a material person does but so with a spiritual consciousness – a dialogue with the Lord of the cosmic forces.

Master said, “Although I am planning and doing things in the world, it is only to please the Lord. And whisper within, where are you, Lord? And the whole world changes. Such is the joy of God.”

Is it better to do what you love, or is it better to love what you are doing? What one does for a living is not so important in terms of inner satisfaction. We need to be successful in tuning the heart, the consciousness, and the nervous system — and to be aware of the love and joy in creation. The goal is to become someone – not to achieve something.

The true state of the soul is bliss, joy, love, peace, so that whatever we do, in that state, is the goal. You can do anything if you identify yourself with Master’s example. We become what we concentrate upon, that is vital to achieving goals. Change who you understand yourself to be.

Concentrate upon our prayer~~~Father Mother Friend Beloved God — All the great ones.

In what ways do you limit yourself? As a man thinketh, so is he. We become what we concentrate upon. It transforms our lives. Be willing to spend the time to concentrate. As we serve we are giving our old selves away to be transformed. If a devotee practices a sadhana and believes he will be free – he will be free.

Think of the little self as the Self. When you go beyond the consciousness of the world, you are that divine consciousness. God is within you. He can do anything and so can you. Identify yourself with your divinity.

Patanjali’s Eightfold Path of Yoga:

1. Yama (moral conduct): noninjury to others, truthfulness, nonstealing, continence, and noncovetousness.

2. Niyama (religious observances): purity of body and mind, contentment in all circumstances, self-discipline, self-study (contemplation), and devotion to God and guru.

3. Asana: right posture.

4. Pranayama: control of prana, the subtle life currents in the body.

5. Pratyahara: interiorization through withdrawal of the senses from external objects.

6. Dharana: focused concentration; holding the mind to one thought or object.

7. Dhyana: meditation, absorption in the vast perception of God in one of His infinite aspects — Bliss, Peace, Cosmic Light, Cosmic Sound, Love, Wisdom, etc. — all-pervading throughout the whole universe.

8. Samadhi: superconscious experience of the oneness of the individualized soul with Cosmic Spirit.

Samyama represents the last three stages. We become what we concentrate on. It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of this in achieving one’s goals. Apply samyama in the stillness of meditation. Father, Mother, Friend, Beloved – fix your concentration on each of those relationships. There’s no limit to how deep one can go with these concepts.

St. Therese of Lisieux spent hours on the first two words of the prayer, “Our Father.”

Do samyama on the Gurus. Visualize each one and invoke them. Spend as long as you feel engaged.

Fixity of attention
Flow of attention

Then you will feel the concept or relationship. It engulfs the meditator.
Even in the state of meditation, we can begin to glimpse the peace of God in samyama. This will transform your life. This technique can be the “one-millionth of practice” that can take you to God.

Service is a form of samyama. Anything we are actively engaging our attention on – with attention to samyama – can transform our actions. As we serve, we are giving our old selves, our little selves away.

Brother Chidananda saw this transformation at the end of the lives of both Brother Mokshananda and Sri Daya Mata. He saw the loyalty, devotion, and service. He saw the transformation.

Brother Mokshananda was the last devotee who came to Master. Master said, “Loyalty is the highest law. Your loyalty has brought you here just in time. Good job, you got here.” When he was near passing a few of us were assigned to help him. It was Christmas Day, 1981. I was on duty when Daya Mata asked that he be brought upstairs to the 3rd floor. I looked down the hall and Daya Mata was walking down the hall. A huge ball of love and light came rolling down the hall. She talked to him a few minutes. The presence of Master was very strong. Brother Anandamoy said. “I wish I could describe the feeling in that room, the presence of Master was so strong.” Love was poured out to him and tears streamed down all of our faces. Brother Mokshananda said, “I wish I had something to give to you.” “You have already given everything,” said one of the voices. We become what we concentrate upon, and he had years of serving the work, and great loyalty.

Samyama can change our attitude. Concentrate on right attitude. In the silence you listen. Focus on the flow from God to Guru to your soul. Humility, Loving-Kindness, and Devotion – the three right attitudes to focus on.

Many devotees may not feel much progress, but the cumulative effect comes, and they are deeply transformed. From mastery comes awareness and insight, along with right attitude. Do samyama – concentrate on role models, saints and gurus. Focus on the Gurus – make that identity your identity. We become what we concentrate upon – we are transformed at the deepest levels. Master embodied right attitudes.

Reverent study of the scriptures. Master’s life is a scripture.

When you come into the world, you cried and the others smiled.
When you leave, let others cry and you will smile.

Praise for everything, praise for it all.

Convocation 2013 – “Meditation: The Soul Satisfying Journey to Spiritual Freedom” ~ Brother Ishtananda

Brother asked a little girl what she wanted to be when she grew up. She answered, “I want to be self-realized.”

Knowing one’s self is knowing God. How often do we think of knowing the self? We often think of others, but we need to become reacquainted with our own self.

Master said the self and the soul are the same, pure divine consciousness. The ego is our personal story, our personal self. It projects into the future, “I want to move to Encinitas”, “I want to go to India” and so on. The real self is the soul. Master can point us toward a way to find that we are pure awareness.

What about seeking God? Knowing oneself is knowing God. Knowing God is only abiding as the Self. Self with a capital S.

Goal of yoga is the merging or dissolving of the ego into our real Self and the merging of the real Self into the Atman.

The Ego identifies with where we were born, school, parents, job, when we got involved with SRF, how many convos we’ve attended, I want to move to Encinitas, increase my kriyas, etc.

Thoughts from past propelled into the future – this is the self (ego). How is this label created?

The interpreter – left part of the brain that creates the sense of “I.” It weaves its story to make you think it’s about you – and to do this, to keep our life together, we have to lie to ourselves. We become spin doctors.

The left hemisphere interpreter will interpret and stick to its belief system no matter what. Our personal stories are deeply-seated. We tend to believe our own press releases.

The personal self is the result of these processes and constructs of thoughts. Ego doesn’t exist without the stories of the spin doctor.

Let’s look at the real Self – the Soul. The spiritual Masters have become it – the real reality. The Masters can point us toward our real Selves – that we are pure perfect awareness.

I was working on a service and it would not flow. So if all else fails, take a nap! I went to a deeper level. I was much more aware of my real Self. We are consciousness, not what is manifesting in our consciousness. What we are aware of is a part of duality and it is always changing, but our awareness never changes. The consciousness is simply aware of the circumstances – it is not the circumstances.

Experiences, thoughts, feelings are the consciousness moving like clouds move in the sky; our thoughts and feelings are like clouds moving through our consciousness. Awareness transcends what it is aware of.

“What would you rather be identified with? The transcendental blissful all-knowing Self? Or the little self with all its problems? All your troubles are only grafts on your consciousness – they are not your real Self. All of our problems come from our personal self or ego. As long as there is a personal self, there will be personal problems. Remember – you are the Self now. The ego tells you you’re not worthy of it — that it’s in the future. Master says we’re just as much a part of God now as we ever will be. We just have to improve our knowing. “

Master said all your troubles do not belong to the soul, all problems stem from the ego, the personal self. Not once has anyone said to me, “Brother, I have trouble with my soul.”

Try this experiment. “Close your eyes. Be aware of the firmness or softness of your chair seat. Now be aware of the breath flowing in and out. Now be aware of your thoughts. Now be aware of that which is conscious of the seat, the breath, and the thoughts. In this awareness, do you know you exist? Just focus on the awareness of your existence. In the next 10 seconds, cease to exist – you don’t exist at all.” Did anyone cease to exist? No, because existence is what we are – Sat – Chit – we are existing consciousness. The ananda is a little more difficult to ascertain.

We can’t not exist. Existence is who we are. The more we stay with that simple awareness of our existence, the more we will feel joy. Awareness of being is bliss. Divine consciousness is what we are. We need to stay with the awareness of being – of awareness of Sat-Chit.

If you go beyond the consciousness of the world and mind, that Divine consciousness is what you are. We need to wake up to the fact.

The Buddha said, “I am awake. Awake is what I am.”

What keeps us from being awake? You may say it is my body or my mind. Be in God bliss. He has made you already what He is. But you identify with who you are and you don’t know you are the Self now. What keeps us from realizing and experiencing that we are the Self?

Master tells us: “The transitory sense of identification of the body and restlessness is the root cause of our spiritual misery.” The problem is when our true self becomes identified with the body and the mind.

Master says the sense of our identification is with the personal self, the ego. Ego is when the soul forgets its true Divine Self. The ego is the source of our problems. The ego has no existence outside of the identification of this personal story.

How do we shift the ego from the real Self? We have to want to let go of this identification of the personal story. Most want the ego to continue while pretending to wish for the ego’s end.

What if we are one of the rare few who really want to become aware of the real Self. How do we find out who we truly are? We must think of ourselves as the real Self.

Just one thought can redeem you. You don’t realize the power of your thoughts in the ether. Thoughts can help free you. As a man thinketh, so is he. Think of yourself as the Self.

Our difficulty stems from identification. Identification stems from what we think.

Master said, “We are what we think we are. Change your consciousness to an immortal being.

Transcend and realize what you are and what you are not. I am that which is beyond breath, body, mind and feeling. What is left? Only the Self. You are existence and awareness.

This is the great advantage of the Hong Sau technique. Between every Hong and Sau, there is awareness and the perception of the soul. The breath comes and goes and we’re left with awareness.

Deeper awareness comes with the practice of Kriya. I am that which is beyond the breath. We are beyond the subtle experiences in the spine. We are the Self. After Kriya, sit a long time in the stillness. Use Kriya to get to the Self and then spend a long time with the Self. The more time with spend with the Self after Kriya, the more we’re aware of the Self. If we let go of the ego, everything becomes more meaningful.

If I let go of this personal story, will life become meaningless? No. The opposite is true. Our minds put labels on things. This is how we experience things.

If the doors of perception were cleansed, we would see things as they are – the infinite essence.

Experience things – don’t just accept some helpful label from the mind. We need to stop using the labeling machine so much and be just pure awareness. Then the labeling machine will get real quiet and we’ll have pure perception.

Practice even mindedness. Our Guru felt deeply the joys and sorrows of life but was always aware of the pure spiritual consciousness within himself.

The mind wants to keep its job as the labeling machine. Ignore it.

The more we’re in the awareness of the pure Self, the more joyous we will be. Think of yourself as the self – you will remain even-minded because the Self doesn’t have likes and dislikes.

Don’t let the mind think about how spiritual you’re getting. One morning you’ll wake up and you will realize you are the Self.

Every day is a joyous adventure. When you are aware of your real self, you will enjoy everything, you will have energy, you will feel so much love for everyone and everything. But this is not the end – it’s not enough.

The goal is for the ego to dissolve into the self, then the self merging into the Self – the Atman. For most of us, this will happen in meditation. If we succeed into getting into the Launchpad of stillness and the mind starts thinking about what to do – the consciousness cannot go up in that disturbed state. But if the mind remains still, we can feel stillness.

Deeper stillness comes only from the grace of God and Guru. What is grace? It is divine assistance and power, given to man to lift our consciousness. We can’t do it by our will alone, but with the grace of God. It is complete surrender and God’s will.

In the deeper stillness we receive assistance from God. To lift our consciousness up – it’s not done by our will and effort – it is done by the grace of God and Guru. And this grace can only take place if there is total abandonment of being the separate self and personal story.

The sweet pull of God’s love. The real falling in love is falling into this Divine force. It is falling upward. Every cell feels being pulled toward Divine love, or their heart is opening, or there is feeling in the spine. Complete surrender. No more sense of ownership.

There is a Sufi saying, “Whoever brought me here has to take me home.” (see entire poem below)

We usually think of prayer, chants, and looking at a photo as devotion. But the real devotion is this pull of love. Pure devotion.

Brother Bhaktananda said, “love is the feeling, devotion is the expression of the feeling.”

Surrender to God leads to communion with the Divine. Be patient in the beginning. It takes time to cultivate the awareness of self-realization. Sri Mrinalini Mata said that if you go to the basis of spiritual life, it is giving up the ego, the personal self.

What greater expression then to surrender to that Divine pull. This is what is going to create the union with the Divine. The jewel of devotion is consciousness of non-duality. Beyond dualistic devotion is union with the Spirit.

There is a gentle turning of the awareness into the awareness. We are the awareness. We need to be patient because it takes time to cultivate the awareness… to keep turning the awareness back. Letting go of what we’re not and being what we are. But the mind is going to resist this and the ego will feel threatened.

Stay very clear about the goal despite what approach you take. It’s not about acquiring something. It’s not about accomplishing something. It’s about giving up something. Giving up the “I” – the ego self.

Just say, nobody’s home – just the Self. What am I now?

The Self is without limits and at not distance from you. You are IT! All we have to do is to improve our knowing.

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“Whoever Brought Me Here, Will Have To Take Me Home” by Rumi

All day I think about it, then at night I say it.
Where did I come from,
and what am I supposed to be doing?
I have no idea.
My soul is from elsewhere,
I’m sure of that, and I intend to end up there.
This drunkenness began in some other tavern.
When I get back around to that place,
I’ll be completely sober.
Meanwhile, I’m like a bird from another continent,
sitting in this aviary.
The day is coming when I fly off,
but who is it now in my ear who hears my voice?
Who says words with my mouth?
Who looks out with my eyes?
What is the soul?
I cannot stop asking.
If I could taste one sip of an answer,
I could break out of this prison for drunks.
I didn’t come here of my own accord,
and I can’t leave that way.
Whoever brought me here,
will have to take me home.
This poetry.
I never know what I’m going to say.
I don’t plan it.
When I’m outside the saying of it,
I get very quiet and rarely speak at all.

2013 Convocation – Friday Evening Talk ~ Sri Mrinalini Mata

This is Paramahansa Yogananda’s annual family reunion. It is a great joy for all of us in the ashrams as well as all of you. My heart just bursts to feel His joy, to look at this large family and receive the love and devotion you offer at His feet.

In the last days of Daya Mata, she said to me, “Tell them, Mrinalini, how much I love them and pray for them every day, and you must do the same.” She bequeathed to me to look after this large family. It was such a feeling of expansion for me. I know how Master loves you, his family.

The title of Mother – Sanghamata – has been deeply planted in my heart – not for myself but for how much Gurudeva loves His family.

We are gathered at Gurudeva’s feet. One cannot come to an advanced Avatar or Guru unless God ordains it. Through all of my contact with all of you, my heart has become so full. My heart sometimes feels like it’s going to burst. Sometimes I need to rest to catch my breath! When I am alone and meditating and praying for the devotees who have asked for help, I now know what Daya Mata meant when she said, “I love them all.”

We have only to think about how our beloved Lord saw us as little seeking souls. As a child I talked to God all the time. At night I prayed my little prayers and for those close to me and I talked to God. My grandmother taught me to do this. One time I was in bed and she came to tuck me in. I was saying prayers and she thought I was playing possum, so she pushed me and tickled me. I said to myself I would not be interrupted in my prayers. Finally I said, “Why are you interrupting my prayers?” She was embarrassed. That was my first time not to let anything interrupt my prayers.

At age 14, I had the good fortunate to meet Gurudeva and enter the ashram. I could not do so without parental approval. My mother was a solid devotee but my father was not ready for a sadhana, but he gave me permission. I’ve always felt very blessed. My mother, Meera Mata, entered the ashram shortly after I did. She started the restaurant in Encinitas and later the India House in Hollywood. I was always grateful for my parents letting me enter at such a young age.

Today as part of His family, you are near and dear to all of us in the ashrams. We could not accomplish the plans of Gurudev’s without your support in so many ways – prayers, meditation, service and contributions – which we are always so deeply grateful for, for they enable us to expand the work. You are so important – “this is a weak word” – you are so necessary to Master’s spiritual family. As we all work together – those who have given their lives full-time and those of you who set an example of good families and how to live in the world. Of all the things that you do, you have also given to the ashrams one of the most sweetest gifts – your children.

It is always a thrill when they come to the ashrams, when you share them. One afternoon we were having a meeting for your girls who came, wanting to know more about the ashram path. Sister Shivani was waiting to begin. She saw a lovely Indian lady standing alone. She went to greet her. Then a gentleman came post haste, waving his arms and calling out, “Don’t take her, don’t take her, she is my wife.” We never break up families. One of their daughters was interested. Gurudeva loved to laugh, he would have enjoyed this. (We did all laugh a lot at this story).

Many come with helpful and needed talents. Many come who have no special talents and are given the most difficult jobs. Guruji did not tell us how to do something, just what to do.

I still had 3 years of high school to complete when I entered the ashram. Master said I had to finish. He said it would help the work if I had a good education. He said to concentrate on English, Shakespeare and language. Master loved words. He would find a word and then incorporate it into his writings. I never thought of myself as literary. “I want you to learn editing from Tara Mata.” She was a genius. She went to one publisher to the next to get the AY published. Because of this, Master said that she was assured of her liberation in this life.

Tara Mata’s health declined. One day Master told me that Tara Mata could not finish the editing work. I was shaken because she was the only one. He looked at me and said, “You will do it!.” I was still in high school! I was used to cleaning and cooking for the 12 of us young ones and Dr. and Mrs. Lewis at Encinitas. Master called me and told me that I was to do no more cooking or cleaning, I was to devote myself to learning English and let Tara Mata train me. She said she would send me some pages that Master gave her and I should study them and see what she did to prepare them for the magazine.

In the 10th grade I took State tests and in English my work was at junior in college level. My teacher called me in and said that the class I was enrolled in with him was poor and that it would be a waste of time. He asked if I had a project I would like to do. I told him I would like to learn about Shakespeare. He said that would be excellent and that during that class hour I should go to the library and study. That is how Master arranged things. I missed the joy and the freedom of cooking and cleaning, but Guruji wanted me for editing. He wanted me to edit some of the early lessons. By his grace we have brought out so many of his writings and teachings. You have no idea how much you have supported those efforts.

I am no longer a spring chicken and can’t manage doing things I used to do. My body is older and my mind is slower, my reflexes are slower. There was a time I tried to get the lid off of a bottle and I tried and tried and then finally it came off, “Thank you God.” God is interested in me getting that lid off but that is not the point. You can accomplish anything if you are willing to make the effort.

Every night I have a little Tiffany lamp for my night meditation. I had just gotten into bed and then I saw the lamp was still on. I had to get up and turn it off. It was only 4 steps but it seemed a long way. One night I sat on the edge of the bed, my eyes popped open and I went over to turn off the lamp. I said, “Thank you.” One of the sisters was with me and she said, “Did you just talk to the lamp?” Now before I get into bed, something says LAMP. I say “Thank you.” It is a feeling of comfort, talking to God through the lamp. It is wonderful. Divine Mother was there.

I know some of you write that it is hard to keep your mind on God. God is everywhere. God is omnipresent. Things that are now an effort, I have to talk myself through it. It is a sweet relationship.

This is a sweet story that brings laughter to my heart. In a parochial school the children had lined up for lunch. There was a large tray of beautiful apples with a note, Take only one, God is watching. At the end of the line was a big platter of chocolate chip cookies. One of the little students had reasoned it out and he wrote a note saying, Take all you want, God is watching the apples.

As we get older, our reasoning has more maturity and discrimination to know right from wrong. God created a material body for a material universe. The mature person would not follow that little boy’s line of reasoning. As we get older and wiser, hopefully, we use discrimination to know that God is also watching the chocolate chip cookies. Primarily God is love. The apples promote health. Most of the things in the world are more like the chocolate chip cookies and we say “Wow”. Yes, they are meant to be enjoyed with moderation. Some say, “If one tastes good, two will be better.” Next day they will add 3. That is how delusion/Satan, will capture our attention. They only satisfy for the moment. Master said enjoy the chocolate chip cookie but don’t let it eat you; don’t get caught up in the habit.

Don’t do things that take you away from your responsibilities that are there for your spiritual growth. You all work so beautifully for God. You work for your family and businesses and you make the effort for meditation and communion with God

Guruji said so simply, yet deeply~~the only way to get away from the darkness of the world it to look behind the circumstances to the power of God. Keep your mind positive and open and the power from God will give you the answer to any question.

Master once took devotees to the Hermitage and blessed them. I asked them if they saw the spiritual eye and they said yes. Then it was my turn to go in. I saw pecks of light but no formed spiritual eye. I felt the door to heaven shut down on me. He didn’t say anything. Devotees followed him to the porch. I was last and I closed the door. It was late and I was unhappy. I had gone to my room in a real funk. A couple of days later he said, “What is bothering you?” I told Him that I didn’t get to see the spiritual eye. “That is all that is bothering you?” He told me it was not important for me. I felt much better and later he sent me a sweet note that said, “Don’t be troubled. In past sadhanas you were in the formless infinite. Enjoy the bliss of love.”

Master gave me the task to integrate extra material into the lessons. I was working on the lesson regarding the spiritual eye. I was understanding it intellectually, but I said, “Lord, how can I work on them if I haven’t even seen the spiritual eye?’ Suddenly the whole field of darkness filled with the perfect image of the spiritual eye. It was so beautiful. I opened and closed my eyes and it was still there. I thanked God and resumed my work. I felt peace and expansion. Then I felt in another mood, embarrassed. “You told me it was not necessary. I am ashamed and apologizing.” In time I knew and accepted my sadhana. I never had visions or experiences and I never wanted them after that.

Anyway, I found what Guruji said for me was so satisfying. In later years, I had greater responsibilities to serve the work, to serve Daya Mata, many programs to establish, reaching out to Centers to give guidance. So nice.

I received perceptions during or after meditation, wonderful thoughts of Master. That is how I felt contact with God. That is how you can contact God and keep that omnipresence with you. You don’t need to hear the voice of God. Develop and use more and more Master’s reason of spiritual growth and don’t be lead around by immaturity and take the cookies. God is talking to you through EVERYTHING. The Lord talks through your conscience.

Recently I heard, “If your conscience is always clear, it is because your memory is very bad.” Oops, I shouldn’t have said that. The karma hits you over the head.

I came tonight because you all called me. Because you are all doing your part to serve God’s work and trying to make the world a better place, you are an inspiration to us. Daily we pray for all of you, especially those who have asked for prayers.

There was a terrible fire recently and people lost their homes and their livelihoods. I listen to the news daily. I want to know where in the world, God’s children are suffering. I ask Master to intercede with Divine Mother to spread love and understanding – to touch her children to make a greater effort to be compassionate – that they can partake of the apple – and the cookies within reason – but to balance the sensory body to give some time for God. That your time with God is not time set aside — but that you are there in that light of God. The healing power. The guiding power. The loving power. The Lord is saying: ‘Those who watch realize and see me in everything. In him I never lose sight, and he never loses sight of me.’

Feel you have God’s guidance and help in everything you do and need. Look for glimpses and expressions of God helping, blessing, guiding. Sing praises of love to God. We can’t be away from the Divine presence for an instance. Everything is created by the perfect, vibratory light. ‘Lord, Thou art in them. Thy perfect light is in them.’ Take this with you into your homes. Live in that vibratory perfection of the love and blessing of the Lord.

Master did not see the ugliness of the world. He looked within and beheld the vibration of God. Father, Mother, Friend, Beloved God cannot forsake children because He is a part of us. “Thy perfect light” is perfectly manifested within Him.

Sing praises of love to God. We saw this so perfectly in Ma.

We can’t be away from the Divine presence for an instance. Everything is created by the perfect, vibratory light. At the time of death, the person with the most toys is still dead! Only our relationship with God will go on with us.

Lord, Thou art in them. They perfect light is in them. Take this with you into your homes. Live in that vibratory perfection of the love and blessing of the Lord.
I love you all so much. Thank you for making me come here! God’s the great love, harmony, essence, and only truth. The only thing that goes with us forever is our relationship and love for God. That’s why God gave us an Avatar.

2013 Convocation – “Mastering the Techniques of Meditation – Part II: The Aum Technique” ~ Brother Prafullananda

(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. Although the class covered the specific Aum technique, details will not be revealed in these notes. Please re-read the SRF lessons for more information.)

Patanjali said in the AY that Kriya yoga consists of bodily discipline, mental control, and meditation on Aum. God is the sound of Aum.

Aum, the creative word, the witness of Divine Presence. It puts us in direct communion with God, communion with supernal realms. We have to hear the Aum sound and merge ourselves in that vibration. This technique gives us direct spiritual experience.

God creates a universe of thought. Then a causal realm. Then energy as the astral. Then the atoms and living organisms in this physical universe. All of this is a variation of the Aum vibration.

This is not an intellectual concept – we must merge our consciousness in that Aum vibration. What we will have done is to expand our consciousness. We will experience the Holy Trinity: Aum – Tat – Sat. Father, Son, Holy Ghost.

Aum is the Holy Ghost – the Divine Mother. The vibratory manifestation. Compassion and unconditional love. We attune with the Guru in the Aum.

In the Aum vibration is permeated the consciousness of the Son or Christ Consciousness.

The Word was God – or the Cosmic Vibration Aum or Amen. Sound impregnated with the Christ Consciousness.

God can be known by contacting Aum. Our consciousness expands to Omnipresence. We become one with everything. One’s human consciousness becomes enlarged to include the Universe.

The Om Song – contains the qualities of Aum (see end of notes for lyrics)

During practice, many devotees do not hear anything. It may be because we don’t hear what we think we should, so we give up. Brother Premamoy said to practice more, not less. It does take time for our consciousness to hear the other sounds. Make sure you are chanting Aum.

Gita verses 12, 13, and 14 name the chakra sounds heard in the Aum technique.
Verse 13 – Krishna and Arjuna in the chariot blow their celestial conch shells. Sounds of the chakras. Krishna produces the Aum sound.
Don’t strain to bring anything about. Do your best and leave the results to God. Spiritual progress is very subtle. It takes time. We are oblivious to the amount of spiritual progress we are making when we are making a sincere spiritual effort.

Focus with reverence, then your heart resonates with the Aum. It works in conjunction with the other techniques. Practice 10 to 15 minutes in the morning and 20 to 30 minutes in the evening. The more you practice the more you will like it. You will eventually fall in love with the cosmic sound. If you are able to hear sounds it may well become your favorite technique.

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The Om Song by Paramahansa Yogananda
Whence Om, this soundless roar, doth come,
When drowseth matter’s dreary drum?
On shores of Bliss, Om, booming, breaks;
All earth, all heaven, all body shakes.

The bumble bee now hums along;
Baby Om doth softly sing his song.
From Krishna’s flute the call is sweet;
‘Tis time the watery God to meet.

Cords bound to flesh are broken all;
Vibrations burst and meteors fall!
The hustling heart, the boasting breath.
No more shall cause the Yogi’s death.

The God of Fire with fervor sings:
“Om! Om!” His joyous harp now rings.
Prana-God with power sounds
The wondrous bells; the soul resounds.

All Nature lies in darkness soft;
The star divine is seen aloft.
Subconscious dreams have gone to bed;
‘Tis then that one doth hear Om’s tread.

Oh, upward climb the Living Tree!
Hark to the cosmic symphony.
From Om, the soundless roar;
from Om the call for light o’er dark to roam.

From Om, the music of the spheres;
From Om, the mist of Nature’s tears.
All things of earth and heaven declare,
Om! Om! resounding everywhere.

2013 Convocation – “Spiritual Happiness: Tapping into the Soul’s Storehouse of Peace, Love, and Joy” ~ Sister Preeti

Master assures us that happiness is the birthright of every soul. Each one of us has a wellspring of inner happiness. What can we do to increase our happiness? The yearning for happiness is universal – for all creeds and nationalities. Each mortal being has in his heart a hunger for peace, love, and joy. Its purpose is to turn us away from the world – a world that cannot make us happy – and to turn us to God, the repository of love, peace, and joy.

The U.N. declared March 20th the first official day of happiness.

Happier people are less likely to have heart problems – a Columbia University study says. Recent scientific findings reflect the ancient truth of the ancient rishis.

Happiness is something you decide upon ahead of time. It’s how you arrange your mind. We can spend the day in bed recounting the parts of the body that do not work – or get out of bed and be grateful for the parts that work.

Master said, “You have the power to hurt yourself or to benefit yourself. If you do not choose to be happy, no one can make you happy. Do not blame God for that. If you choose to be unhappy, no one can make you happy. It is we who make of life what it is.”

We must choose to be happy. Choosing happiness requires effort on our part. When we feel low, it’s so easy to go with the flow and let it take us down.

Happiness lies in giving yourself time to think and introspect. When we take this time, we are in a much better place to make better, conscious choices. And we realize that there are choices that can be made.

What do you do to feel happy? Read something inspiring? Meditate? Pray? Swim? Walk? Eat? Sleep? Watch TV? Shop? The choices impact our happiness. What you are not changing you are choosing.

If we passively allow ourselves to drift along with a mood – that is a choice. If we don’t make a change and fight against this current, we are choosing unhappiness.

When we choose to be happy, Satan takes notice. The sole purpose of Satan is to divert man from soul to matter, from reality to unreality. Our spiritual resolve can be strengthened when we fight Satan and choose what is best for us.

We can free ourselves of outer distractions, but it may not be as easy to free yourself of inner distractions. We have to let go of the world to hope to have God. We can’t have both. This is a struggle with Maya we all have to face in order to set our spiritual priorities.

As long as the mind wanders haphazardly between the spiritual and the world, that tug of war will be futile in producing spiritual happiness.

We have free choice. We have to consistently and persistently choose to bring spiritual activities into our lives. A half-hour meditation each day is essential except when you’re busy. Then one hour of meditation is required.

We’re convinced that our work is so important. This is an example of Maya.

Seeking God is our most important duty. This will produce an undaunted an unbreakable inner happiness.

In the struggle to contact God, avoid the oblivion of wandering thoughts. Choose over and over again to bring your attention back to God without becoming discouraged. Discouragement is a tool of Satan.

Our line of Gurus assures us that we will find the spiritual knowledge we search for if we keep digging. It’s in the spiritual eye and we must drink deep.

Portable Paradise – to walk with God’s happiness ever in the soul is to carry God’s portable paradise within wherever we go – as we face whatever we have to face every day. Each soul being a part of god is a receptacle of God’s love, peace, and joy. Keep our heads in the heavens as our feet gently touch the ground after meditation.

Our line of Gurus carried this portable paradise. Divine joy and peace and love on their faces. Master truly fulfilled the greatest commandment – to love God and thy neighbors. A Prem-Avatar.

We can see the depth of unruffled peace in Sri Yukteswar. Next time you feel ruffled, think of Sri Yukteswar. Remain untouched in your castle of peace.

Lahiri Mahasaya – consciousness anchored in the bliss of God. Ecstatic Babu!

We must live according to spiritual principles. Man is law-bound to be happy when he is in harmony with God. And unhappy when he is not in harmony with God.

God has lovingly provided each of us with an inner compass – our conscience – that guides us to go in the right direction.

Ten eternal rules of happiness – the Ten Commandments.

Happiness only comes by doing right. Be happy here and you will be happy in the beyond. We can’t be happy unless we’re at peace and we can’t be at peace unless we follow God’s laws. Practice acts of kindness and selflessness. We find happiness by helping others. Try to make others happy instead of trying to just make yourself happy. If you want to feel good, do good.

“Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.” ~ J.M. Barrie

Being kind triggers a cascade of positive effects, including reciprocated kindness.

Unless there’s happiness in the heart, you have no success. How selective are we when we allow stuff to come into our hearts?

Peace, gratitude, contentment. Positive emotion creates an upward spiral which combats negativity.

Those who are inwardly content are living rightly.

Desires all too often lead to dead-end streets. Contentment brings peace and acceptance. It frees us of envy and jealousy. When we allow ourselves to be tricked by maya to be envious of something God gave to someone else, we are not grateful for what God has given to us. There’s a special place for all of us in God’s plan. When things don’t always go well for us in our plans, it isn’t always apparent what has happened to God’s plan for us.

God’s divine plan has been working in our lives all along – we may not see it right away. If you look back on your life from the balcony of introspection, you’ll see God’s plan working in your life. Trust in God’s plan and be content with what He chooses.

We have to carefully choose the thoughts and actions we weave into our daily lives if we want to be happy. It is the world inside of us, more so than the outside world, that determines our happiness.

“Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.” ~ Helen Keller

Master said to keep our attention on the light. Focus on the light – positive thoughts.

It is blessedness for you and others if you are happy. Our happiness influences the people we know – and the people they know. Our face reflects what is in our heart. Our countenance should be a beacon for others to follow.

Master said that if you can’t smile – to pull your mouth apart and to stand in front of a mirror. If you want to be happy, you must act happy.
Smile and people will smile back at you.

As children of God, happiness is our birthright.

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~ Buddha

Try to create more happiness in the world around you. Be a happiness ambassador for God and Guru.

Master said, “Let the breeze of His love spread your smiles in the hearts of men. Their fire will be contagious.”

2013 Convocation – “Mastering the Techniques of Meditation: Part I” ~ 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. Although the class covered the specific Hong Sau technique, details will not be revealed in these notes. Please re-read the SRF lessons for more information.)

This is a fundamental class. If you pay attention to fundamentals, you will master the techniques.

Motivation – maintain and cultivate the desire to meditate. We have to work on this every day.

Regularity and perseverance are required – then we will have the results our souls crave. Don’t have a laid back attitude toward meditation. Manana or later is not good.

Everyone is seeking God. Despite all of our differences, every man, woman, and child wants to permanently remove pain. This would produce sacred peace. The “second coming” denotes – eliminate suffering and attain true and lasting eternal happiness. Our soul craves an eternal happiness. We want an infinite happiness that never grows stale.

The only way to meet this goal is to know God. God is the only criteria. Meditation is the highway to the infinite. Meditation will give us this happiness faster and more everlasting than anything else we can do. Stoke the fires to meditate every day. Maya keeps us enmeshed in this delusion. Keep the desire for God burning brightly.

In WWII Master went to the theater to see the newsreels. He asked Divine Mother, why such suffering? She said that pain is needed to feel happiness – this is a world of duality.

Pain is a prod to remembrance. We have to transcend reality to attain the happiness we desire. As long as we’re in this world, we’re subject to duality. God is the only thing that can give us everlasting happiness.

It takes a million years of disease-less living to reach God. You never know when you’ll reach God because not all living is disease-less.

With kriya, we can free ourselves from this duality and this pain. When we apply the science of yoga, we negotiate and reduce the amount of time we spend in the ocean of delusion and suffering.

No one else can do this for us. Guruji’s writings, examples of saints, perseverance of our peers – we have to take the initiative to use all this to flame the fires of our desire to meditate.

Guruji brought in the kriya package. In the kriya path, Guruji has given us a spiritual goal.

Gratitude – keep gratitude burning within. Keep your path burning through gratitude. Benefits of meditation will follow.

Hong Sau is simple, yet difficult. It’s a powerful ancient technique. Rishi’s unraveled the mysteries that hide God. The science of yoga is the science of uniting the individual soul with God. Be regular in your meditation and persevere to the end of your life.

Breath is the cord that ties the soul to the body. I have a body but I am the soul. These kriya techniques will sever the cords that hold the soul to the body.

Bring this identification into your life. Strive to identify with who you really are. The confusion of our identity is the cause of our suffering. Forgetfulness of who we are – forgetfulness of God – this is the source of all pain – the root cause of all problems.

Hong Sau is an ancient technique and treatment that will reverse this situation we are in. We have spiritual gold in our hands.

Watching the breath is the first step to controlling it. We begin to know we are beyond the breath. Consciousness is the only thing that is real.

Our lives are not dependent on the physical — we the soul, independent of the breath. Sat Chit Ananda. Hong Sau creates separation from body and soul.

Regularity of practice. Begin your meditation now. To get inspiration to meditate, you must meditate. Don’t put it off. The key is to begin by doing what you can – even 5 minutes – twice a day. Everything will seemingly try to prevent us from meditation. Cultivate the desire for God and set aside time for meditation.

A bumper sticker said, “You are a child of God. Come home!” Sri Daya Mata said to a group of monks, “Unless you make it important, it won’t be.”

Asana – posture. Correct posture is having straight spine without being disturbed. Correct posture is being able to sit for meditation without stress for a period of time. Fidgeting makes it harder to be successful. Sit still for 5 minutes – then increase the time. It is important to sit still. Stillness in the body brings stillness in the mind. It is proper posture. Where stress is, there is motion and energy. Where there’s energy, there’s consciousness. Do not strain the gaze. Physical gaze is lifted. Spiritual and mental gaze is at the spiritual eye. Hong Sau can be practiced anytime.

Effort is progress. Leave the results in God’s hands. Leave the rest to God.

2013 Convocation – “Allowing God to be a More Meaningful and Personal Friend” ~ Brother Satyananda

One of my favorite Indian saints, Surdas, was a very sweet man. He wandered through villages chanting to Krishna. People were attracted to him. He was blind. People gathered; they chanted long into the night. Children loved him; adults fed him. He went across an open field and fell into an abandoned well. It was too deep to get out, so he plucked his instrument and chanted to Krishna to help him. He heard a voice say, “Surdas, reach up your hand.” A man pulled him up. A man pressed his hand over Surdas’s face and said, “Open your face.” He was no longer blind! He saw everything; best of all he saw Lord Krishna standing before him. Surdas kneeled and Krishna said, “I am pleased with your devotion. I will give you anything you ask.” Surdas replied, “Make me blind again. After seeing you I never want to see anything else.” After that he turned more inward and spent more time in meditation.

The temple of God is within your soul, with the light of intuition burning on the altar. The invisible has become visible and the unreal has become real. We are one with the Universe and God is always within us. But to us, the real is yet unreal.

God has given to each one of us a higher self, a soul. Yet, we are blind, we are in delusion. Maya – the illusion of confinement of consciousness. We are confined to a small theater of illusion and sensory experience. Our soul has been confined to such an extent that our pure self seems separated from God. Our greater self has forgotten.

God is the designer. God has gifted us with free will, personal privacy, and freedom to be alone in our mental minds. We have the freedom of inner self-determination to choose our own thoughts. We have the freedom to be alone – we have freedom of solitude. We are here together in a large crowd and yet we are alone. Being alone within has been with you since you were born. We all live alone within our own private consciousness.

Through scientific meditation, Master has given us a door to transcend our confined individuality – especially during Kriya yoga.

We engage with the sensory world and we forget. We allow this to happen. We open the door to God during meditation, but then the ego comes in and closes the door. The God who comforted us in meditation is suddenly gone.

A man said, “Why does God leave me when I need him most?” He does not want to leave us. We learn meditation and think suddenly that we are far away. We choose to be alone and God is gone. We are attached to our privacy. I am alone means I want to be alone. We are afraid to expose ourselves. This is pure delusion. “I do not want to share my inner self, my solitude, with God.” That is the ego speaking; the ego does not want to share.

Ultimately, this wall will come down. We are predestined to be one with God.

We all carry on an interior conversation. We talk to ourselves constantly. Our inner monologue draws conclusions that shape our reality.

Master said that the mind is elastic – it can think or dream itself into any state.

The ego thrives on inner isolation. Avidya – personal maya. This is the source of all our suffering.

God has made privacy secure. Even the Guru doesn’t enter without your permission.

You have your own private timeline of events. How could you share all of your with anyone? No one can ever now you as you know yourself. So we assume we are on a solitary mission. It partitions our consciousness from the in-dwelling consciousness of God.

To them who think me near, I am near. He is as close as your thought allows God to be.

How can God be close if we assume He is absent because we have our private solitude?

Brother Satyananda’s new truth-based assumption: “Beloved God, you are ever here with me as my Divine friend – sharing my every thought and feeling. I cannot be alone again. I am always sharing with you. I am never alone.”

Kriya yoga helps us to claim this truth. Declare the truth so sacred that your doubting mind cannot question it anymore. We can declare the truth taught by the Guru and make His truth stronger than ego delusion.

You are sitting here surrounded by thousands. Master said that we are not alone; God is silently abiding in us. He is as close as your thoughts allow Him to be. You, now, are assuming God is absent. You can consciously decide to assume you are not alone, that God is ever with you, sharing in your every thought and feeling. He is always here with us. You can do it, only you can do it.

Why not claim this eternal truth? From this moment on, all thought and feeling is shared. This is God’s design – it cannot be otherwise. Share with the one who created everything. During the day, acknowledge Him in the stillness within. God is not hiding from us, we are hiding from Him.

No forgiveness, groveling, or shame is needed to have this Royal audience. He knows us. He has been with us for lifetimes of hiding. He is waiting to be acknowledged. Waiting for your partition to come down. The question is not is we are worth it, but are we ready?

Secretly on the inside, your substance is changing. Solitude is being replaced with the assumption: I am not alone. My Lord is here within me now and always.

The ego has us convinced that sharing with God is very complex and many issues must be sorted out alone. The act of sharing privacy with God is illuminating. Come out of hiding. Expose the darkness to the light. Pain thrives in isolation. When we come out of hiding, the dark bird can fly away.

How many incarnations will it take? The ego has a dark secret. The decision to share with God opens us to light. Then we will be lonely no more. We begin to listen more and when we do talk we whisper because we assume the Divine friend is listening. We assume the Lord is chanting and praying with us.

Songs of the Soul – “I am Lonely No More”

From the Arnold version of the Gita – Ch. 6, Verse 30: “He who watches me always, I do watch over him… to the ordinary person, God seems to be absent. But the yogi sees God looking at him through all…”

A 13th century saint was sitting on a porch and looking out over the landscape. He was motionless and people asked him what he was doing. He said, “I am watching God and God is watching me.”

There’s no better time to experience God then after pranayama. It’s here we can experience our God-given privacy.

Daya Mata said that God has given each of us a quiet temple within. Here we can feel God within. God wants to be alone with you. We go beyond thoughts and ego in meditation. The deeper you dive into stillness, the closer God will be with you. Assume He is with you. Lord, you are with me now. I am watching you and you are watching me. Master teaches us we can recognize God’s presence within us. Only when restless thoughts cease, can we hear the voice of God. Stillness becomes alive. God communicates through the devotee’s silence. In the devotee’s silence, God’s silence ceases.

In The Second Coming of Christ, at the end of discourse 54, there are listed the 10 principle manifestations of God: Cosmic calmness, cosmic peace, cosmic energy, the sound of Aum, divine light, cosmic intelligence, cosmic devotion and gratitude, cosmic love, and bliss (the ultimate manifestation of God).

In Glimpses, Sri Daya Mata describes her own experience of God. She is describing these manifestations of God as a sequence.

—Cosmic calmness – sense of resting – calm tranquility, order and balance.

—Cosmic Peace flows from within. Joyful serenity. This removes fear and inspires faith. Peace in meditation is God.

—Cosmic vibration and energy – tingling vibration and energy in the spine and chakras. Increases as you focus on it. Sound of Om.

—Divine light – at the kutastha.

—Cosmic intelligence – cosmic laws. Intelligence inherent in all life.

—Cosmic wisdom – intuition, understanding. Expanding inside and a profound sense of knowing.

—Cosmic devotion – gratitude in the heart. State of being in love with God. And then that love extended to all.

—Cosmic love – giving love to all.

—Ananda or bliss – expanding ever-new joy. Proof of God.

God is shy. God is personal. Manifestations of God usually appear in small, subtle ways first. As we concentrate with reverence, it will increase. If we dismiss it, it dissipates. When we concentrate, it begins to grow.

What God chooses to manifest to you are gifts and reflect your personal destiny with Him. There’s always something there in the stillness. Each manifestation is a portal to Samadhi. Each brings blessings. Become immersed in the manifestations.

God is ever within you – sharing every thought and feeling. God has given you personal solitude because He wants to be alone with you, especially when He comes in the stillness of meditation.

“We are in the last stage. We are weary of isolation. God is tugging on our hearts. Sometimes we feel an aching loneliness. It can come during trials or when everything is okay. Nothing is wrong. These human emotions need a new spiritual interpretation. Loneliness is really a soul’s yearning for God. You are yearning to break free and it will help you develop dynamic devotion. Sorrow in all forms is your soul’s yearning for God. All the losses can have a spiritual interpretation. Create a new Divine energy. Move through human experiences quickly and create a soul yearning. Whisper the words God wishes to hear: I want to be alone with You. You are the only One who can fulfill me. Fill my heart with your love, so I will be lonely no more.”

Master was never separated from the Lord for a second.

2013 Convo – “Guru: God’s Perfect Reflection” ~ Brother Sevananda

The sum and substance of the spiritual path. If I was on a tiny island and could only have one book, it would be the Autobiography of a Yogi without a doubt. From darkness to eternal light. If we want to be a doctor, we go to medical school, if we want to know God, we have to study with someone who knows God.

Sending a Guru to us is one thing, becoming established in the Guru relationship is another. Sri Mrinalina Mata says that the Guru relationship perfects in the chela, the quality of faith. There are many stories in the AY about the Guru relationship. In one, Swami Sri Yukteswarji had yearned for a son to train in the yoga tradition. When Master finally returned to him in 1936, SY then finally said, “I love you. I yearned for you and you came.” We need to anchor ourselves completely to the Guru, to unlock our hearts and have absolute trust in Him. This brings unconditional love.

Daya Mata said that through reading the Lessons, we all know what He wants. We can really prove we love Him by striving to do what he taught us to do. She said, saying “Master, Master, Master” is not enough.

We get to practice in our human relationships. We know we don’t do this alone, our effort is 25%, 25% from the Guru, and 50% from the grace of God. If we are doing our part, they don’t lag behind in helping us. Our Guru is the divine matchmaker, putting us and God together. He really loves us! We think, “Really, me?” Watch or listen to the talks about the Guru Relationship.

Master said that God knows each one of us, he knows everything we need. We are special to God, to our Guru. God looks at us through the Guru. Daya Mata said to me, “Have you heard from your father lately?” I told her that I had not, and she said, “Then you should meditate more. She said she was sitting at His feet and He said, “To those who feel me near, I will be near.” If you are just attuned to this physical form, you will never find Him in the infinite. “I am always with you.” This is a promise to us! Brother Premamoy, our House Teacher, was much older but had not met the Master. He told us, “No, I never met Him, but I know Him.

Many are having serious troubles now. Later on we can see that we needed to go through them. A Guru threw rocks at his disciples and those who picked them up with devotion, found that they turned into gold. Those who left them on the ground had no such blessing. We need to be receptive to the help we receive. The Guru said He would watch over us with a million eyes.

Before I came to the ashram, I attended my first Convocation in the early 1970’s. I attended with friends. They could stay and visit ashrams but I had to go home and was a bit sad. I felt His presence was here and I had to go to LAX, dragging luggage. There was a big line. Finally it was my turn and I looked up at a very huge guy, all muscles and neck. I had a 16×20 picture on top of my clothing. SRF was not a household word. I unzipped my suitcase and he said, “Oh, Paramahansa Yogananda,” and waved me on through. I realized instantly that Master was with me, right then, right there. It was the first time I felt Him and since then, I have never felt alone. It was the first of countless other experiences where I have felt that He was with me.

In thousands of ways He comes to us. A week or so later I traveled with my parents to Europe on a business trip, but I stayed on. I was in a hotel, and I as I was leaving to go out that night, I saw the AY on a shelf by the desk. I figured the owner must be the owner of the AY. I said, “Good book, eh?” He replied, “I don’t know, someone left it here and I put it out to see if anyone would claim it.” Well, when I went to get out my AY, I could not find it! I was the mystery owner. Then, in my room, I had the same feeling – that Master was with me, having some fun with me. He does not give out just a little flower, sometimes He gives the whole plant.

A monk was walking on the sacred grounds. He was feeling discouraged. The grounds were closed. He saw a little bit of paper and was about to pick it up when he thought, “Oh why bother, it is so small.” But guilt got to him and he went back to pick it up. It was a tiny picture of our Guru, a whisper from eternity. He is watching over us. He knows where we are.

Visualize Master in the spiritual eye and tune in with Him, before every meditation. At the end of meditation focus on the spiritual eye and ask questions. He invites this contact. The first line of the AY is about the Guru relationship and so is the last line. There are many yet to come. He knows who they are.

2013 Convocation – “Satsanga” ~ Sister Vinita

Question: I have 2 jobs and heavy family responsibilities. That leaves little time for meditation. How can I link up to God and Guru during the day, when I can only meditate one half hour am and pm?

Drop the distress, it only adds to the stress and then it is harder for God to connect with you. Whatever time you have, give it whole heartedly. Don’t feel regret, just hold on to what you feel from what time you had. Daya Mata said to live your lives as though you were in the constant presence of God, which in fact we are. Think of God in the first moments after you awaken. I think of God as joy, I say, “Thou are joy. I am joy.” Dedicate the whole day to God; ask for guidance in that early morning time. He accepts this; we are covered for the day.

We are to go through life being aware, not dropping one drop of oil. Daya Mata asked, “Are you still with me, Lord?” Even a split second helps. Even if you have been with this path a long time, the mind can forget. Don’t be discouraged but don’t be satisfied. Every thought we give, sends out subtle vibration. Think with attentiveness, don’t be mechanical.

Inwardly repeat a devotional thought such as Jai Guru; I love you, Lord; Peace, Courage; I am calm. Or chant a cosmic chant, just let one come into your mind. Master said, “Whenever you see a blossom, think of God. The Divine Mother is alive in Nature’s perfection. At night think of God and be thankful.

On my desk is a little sign, “Thou art the doer, not I. Thy will be done, not mine.” I felt I should say it because it came from Daya Mata. Then all of a sudden it became real to me during a challenging time. Now I like it very much.

In Master’s books we may find a passage that is especially meaningful. This year, I read a passage that said, “Remove negative thoughts and replace them with joyous expectations.” Master taught that God is just around the corner. If you had spent one more moment in meditation, Divine Mother would have been there.

Sri Mrinalina Mata says to never let God be just a word to you, never let go with the words of God that have a deep meaning to you.

Daya Mata said the poem, “God-God-God,” describes the God we should strive for in our lives. She said if we did nothing else but live by that poem, we would find God in this life.

Question: What does it mean to look at the spiritual eye all day. How can we accomplish this?

A swift way to the infinite is to keep the consciousness at the spiritual eye. The ability to do it does not come easily while working, but every effort we make takes us closer to God. Affirm, “I love you, I want to feel your presence.” We may feel tingling at the spiritual eye — that is energy.

When devotees would ask Master what to do about something, Master would point at the spiritual eye and tell them, “Just keep your attention here and feel God in your consciousness.” This deepens the attunement and that helped them know what they were to do. The Guru is always present at the spiritual eye.

Question: Can you speak on the benefits of silence, even on retreat?

Silence is sacred. On retreat, silence helps us all find the inner silence, which is attunement with God: “In your silence, God’s silence ceases.” On retreat, we sit at a large table with others and it may feel unnatural to be silent, but then you feel a great gift. We turn to an inner life with God. Silence recharges our batteries. Master says everyone needs a retreat. When we deepen the awareness of God within, the noise of our desires calms down. Read Enter the Quiet Heart by Daya Mata and see what she said about silence.

On retreat, give it your full effort. Strive to talk with the others at the beginning or at the end. The retreat is best done through meditation and the practice of silence. Retreat or not, find a time for some silence, from 15 minutes to a day. Finding time for silence gives you more time on your spiritual path.

Question: Please talk about humility.

No more ego. When that is achieved, we realize we are entirely dependent upon God. It is a deep seat of calmness when all around is trouble. Guruji said to put others first; in serving others we put aside our own little comforts. The more humble we become, the more we want to serve, to visit sick friends. The ego is self-centered. Realize God is the doer, not you. Strive to see God in everyone, especially when we don’t feel harmony with them. That person is a spark of God, consider that. Master is always with us, would he be pleased with our behavior towards others?

How do we react when criticized? Remain always the same. The crushed rose continues to give out fragrance. Give kind words and thoughts in return. Remain even-minded. “Assume a virtue, even if you have it not.” Perhaps we are not seeing a change as quickly as we would like, we can always send good thoughts. To accept criticism with calmness is a sign of spiritual progress.

Master said that to those who think Me near, I am near. He said only love could take his place. Daya Mata said that each one of us has a spiritual duty to behave so that His Life will shine through us. This is a foundation of humility to help with our goal of God Alone.

2013 Convocation – “Deepening Your Convocation Experience” ~ Bro. Vishwananda

Affirmation: “I set aside all thoughts and cares of this material world to be alone with Thee.”

Divine greeting from Mrinalini Mata: “In the name of Paramahansa Yogananda, a warm welcome to all of you who have gathered from around the world. What a joy and inspiration it is for us to meet so many of you who have been drawn to Master’s teachings. The bond of friendship we share is rooted in our common goal to know God. The power of the gentle magnet of our hearts draws God’s blessings. You have been given a precious opportunity this week to deeper your relationship with the One. Feel that you are sitting at Gurudeva’s feet. Recharging your will with dynamic power. Inwardly walk with Him. Meditate with Him. He is as close as your thoughts allow. You can draw upon Master. Dwell in the Guru’s unconditional love. Every wave is made of the Ocean; so are we made of God. Open your heart to His divine presence so it may break down the barriers to allow His love and strength to flow through you. You will not only transform yourself, you’ll be a messenger wherever you go in this world. May you receive the blessings of God and Guru are pouring out to you.”

3,500 devotees, 42 countries – 50 U.S. states – 500-600 volunteers at this year’s convocation!

Basic & Vital Spiritual Principles:

1. The purpose of life is to find God. The world is really in a mess. The confusion and fear and violence. We are all impacted by it. Most people don’t have an anchor or roadmap. But we do because we know this principle. This gives us a direction for every thought, every feeling, every action. Ask yourself about what comes to you. Is this taking me closer to God or away from God? You see the power of God as the polestar of your life.

2. Karma and Reincarnation. The Guru has expounded the importance of knowing and understanding our experiences and not create new bad karma. Wouldn’t it be a joke if we just died and that was the end of it? What is karma? It is who we are, what we are, where we are. Our spiritual activities bring us good karma. Think of the people who don’t understand these principles and don’t understand life. They blame God because God made them the way they are. They don’t understand these divine principles. The yogi would say, ” I was reborn this way!”

Do you realize how your karma has impacted you? You are children of God – seekers of love, wisdom and peace – or you would not be here. We have good karma. We worked for this blessed incarnation and God’s grace has brought us to this moment in time.

3. The Need for a True Guru. We sit here today as a divine family. We are connected to a line of Avatars. Babaji and Christ saw a need of this age – they sent a spiritual dispensation and a true Guru, Paramahansa Yogananda, to be our Guru-Preceptor. He wrote unprecedented commentary (Gita and SSC). Convocation is very much a part of Mater’s legacy – for all of us to come together as a part of His spiritual family. Guru has given us incredible teachings and an organization to keep the teachings pure.

What is Convocation? Christ said, “where 2 or 3 are gathered together in my name, there I am.” Divine magnets. We come decade after decade because we feel God’s presence in a much greater way this week.

Convocation – the act of assembly by summons. Summons – we who are called to appear by authority – a demand for surrender! We were summoned here to practice Master’s teachings and to go deeper. Here we are – summoned by Guru! And all we have to do is surrender!

The Golden Age is to be. We are still in a very dark age, but our Master has brought us a Higher Golden Age teaching. It might feel like Convocation – where you feel God’s presence all the time. Praying together, meditating together. Imagine the whole world feeling this way. We’re so blessed to feel this for an entire week. Master expects us to be messengers of a Higher Age when we return to the world. The Bonaventure hotel manager once said to me that we make a temple of this hotel. No other groups have such members. Some guests are so well behaved, they even make their own beds!

Convocation is such a great blessing and it is an opportunity. That’s why we were summoned here by Guruji. Master knows who we are and what we are. He saw the yearning of our hearts to be stronger, to face the battles of life. We have been given this opportunity – Guruji knows our struggles and problems better than we do. From the moment of conception to the last breath – man has to fight numerous battles. Guruji knows the battle of life. The opportunity He has given us is one where we step out of the material world that we live in for one week, to deepen our relationship with God, to deepen our understanding of Master’s teachings, to go on pilgrimages to the places Master lived and meditated.

Sri Daya Mata said make the most of convocation. Mrinalini Ma said this is a precious opportunity.

We must strive to feel our Guru is reaching out to us personally – to give us renewed strength and to us in His unconditional love. Leave daily demands behind. To know God, use this time well to deepen your relationship with God. Inwardly walk with Him and meditate with Him. He is as close to your thoughts as you will allow. You can chant with devotion. Dwell inside on the Guru’s unconditional love.

In YSS, three monks and some devotees were traveling by train. One devotee said he was going to evaluate the engineers and asked if anyone wanted to go with him and I went. I was asked if I would like to drive the train and I did. My mind was flooded. I recalled dreams I has a boy – to drive a train and toot the horn. I saw that Guruji was providing this for me. It confirmed how much He is with us.

Haven’t we all had little touching experiences with Guru? A confirmation that the Guru is with us.

If the Guru can arrange for me to drive the train, I have to very careful what I think each day! Our relationship with the guru is personal. No one will ever know what we feel. Inwardly, walk with Him this week. Strive to the best of your ability to shut out thoughts and cares of the material world, as much as you can. Be careful every day what you are thinking because every day these thoughts can be fulfilled!

Imagine if your most constant urge and desire was one thing – to find God? How much more willing would Guruji be to fulfill that desire? Cry and yearn for God. If there’s a miracle in life – to me the greatest miracle since I’ve become a disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda is that I have changed. And I’m very very happy with that change. A growing awareness of divine peace, love, and wisdom. What greater testimony to the blessings we have received – we have in our hands the teachings of a Guru that can help us deal with our challenges and turmoil. We can have a soft landing because the Guru is with us.

We find God inside. Intuitively we know God on the inside. When we think of God, we close our eyes. Our relationship is very personal and very intimate. No one else will ever know what our Guru says to us. It’s very very personal.

Inwardly walk with Him. To enhance convo experience – to take the greatest advantage of this opportunity – strive to the best of your ability to let go of the thoughts and cares of the material world. Don’t bring the world in. We’re in a spiritual aura. You can control and make decisions of how much you let the world into your spiritual cocoon.

Meditate, meditate, meditate – we should have a chant like that!

Kriya yoga – first and foremost, meditate.

Rajarsi said, “As you attend classed and activities, know that Master is here. He’s just behind the darkness of closed eyes. Meditation makes it possible for Him to lift us up to God. Discovering this, we will also discover the joy, the love, and the peace of God.”

Volunteers have an opportunity to perform selfless service. If your mind is on God, you are in tune with that Divine presence.

Practice the presence. Our relationship with God and Guru is very personal and very intimate. You have to personalize convo. It has to come from your heart and soul.

In one of my last meetings with Daya Mata, I asked for her help. She said, “Just love God. Talk to Him. Tell Him over and over again – churn the ether – I love You. Say I love you, I love you, I love you. I can’t live without your love and guidance, without feeling your loving presence.”

Spontaneous, intimate, personal communication. You can do this all the time. Deepen the practice of the presence.

Convocation is like a training ground for all of life. Build on our intimate, personal, inner life with your Guru. Do this from your heart, not from your head. Chanting is another way: Door of My Heart; Listen, listen, listen. Whatever you feel draws you closer to God and Guru – this is what you should do. It has to come from your heart, your yearning, your personal relationship with God.

Silence – God and Guru are inside not outside.

Don’t maintain silence all the time – mix and enjoy divine friendship – but live inside a little bit more so when you go home you have some momentum to fight the battle of life. You have to make the effort – no one can do it for you.

Affirmation: Thou and I are One

Thy cosmic life and I are one.
Thou art the Ocean, and I am the wave;
We are one.
Thou art the Flame, and I am the spark;
We are one.
Thou art the Flower, and I am the fragrance.
We are one.
Thou art the Father, and I am Thy child;
We are one.
Thou art the Beloved, and I am the lover;
We are one.
Thou art the Lover, and I am the beloved;
We are one.
Thou art the Song, and I am the music;
We are one.
Thou art the Spirit, and I am all nature;
We are one.
Thou art my Friend, I am Thy friend;
We are one.
Thou art the Master, and I am Thy servant;
We are one.
Thou art my Mother, I am Thy son;
We are one.
Thou art my Master, I am Thy disciple;
We are one.
Thou art the Ocean, and I am the drop;
We are one.
Thou art all Laughter, I am a smile;
We are one.
Thou art the Light, and I am the atom;
We are one.
Thou art Consciousness, I am the thought;
We are one.
Thou art Eternal Power, and I am strength;
We are one.
Thy peace and I are one.
Thy joy and I are one.
Thy wisdom and I are one.
Thy love and I are one.
That is why Thou and I are one.
Thou and I were one, and Thou and I will be
one ever more.

Closing in Master’s words, “During every little period of leisure, plunge your mind into the infinite thought of Him. Talk to Him intimately; He is the nearest of the near, the dearest of the dear. Love him as a miser loves money, as an ardent man loves his sweetheart, as a drowning man loves breath. When you yearn for God with intensity, He will come to you.”