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Nayaswami Devi, Author at Nayaswami Jyotish and Nayaswami Devi
Hosted by Unknown Author · EN
Spiritual Directors of Ananda Sangha Worldwide
20episodes
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Looking Forward, Looking Back
Dec 27, 2024Tap to summarizeThe Roman God Janus is depicted as having two faces—one looking forward, and one backward. In mythology he represents new beginnings, transitions, and time. As we approach the new year, it’s a good opportunity for us, like Janus, to look backward to review the past, and also forward to set new goals for ourself. We are all “works in progress,” and while we need to build on our successes, let’s not be discouraged about where we fell short. Take some time now to introspect and see in what ways you have succeeded; analyze where you could have done better; and decide on the goals you want to set for 2025. Let’s look at these three components. First, look at your successes in accomplishing your goals from last year. A friend of mine told me, “A goal I set for myself in 2024 was not to speak negatively about a person at work with whom I had a hard time getting along. At first it was really difficult, and sometimes I had to walk out of a room when I felt myself about to spew negativity. Little by little, I began to feel an inner strength developing. As the year progressed, whenever I felt tempted to criticize this person, I could feel a wave of energy supporting me not to fall into that trap. Finally it seemed very natural to remain silent, or even to say something positive. I was so happy with the results that this year my goal is not to speak negatively about anyone.” Her success in achieving last year’s goal is giving her the confidence to keep building on what she was able to accomplish. Next, it’s also important to look at where we fell short in what we set out to do. Guilt and self-blame are not helpful emotions, and we should not identify with our mistakes. Rather, simply analyze where you have a weak area, and then try to apply the energy of your successes to that behavior. In other words, learn both from where you succeeded in your goals and where you failed, and move forward with changing yourself. Sometimes people say, “But I can’t change, because my past karma is too strong.” To the question, “How much free will to change ourselves do we really have?” Yoganandaji had a very helpful answer. He said that there is no such thing as fate, but rather destiny, determined by our past actions, or karma. And that about seventy-five percent of who we are is set by past karma, but the other twenty-five percent can be created through our free choice and effort of will. Thus, we do indeed have the ability to transcend our weaknesses through self-effort. That quarter of who we are, representing our free will, can determine whether we remain bound by past habits, or move forward instead in freedom. “Samadhi,” by Nayaswami Jyotish. Finally, as 2025 approaches, set new goals for yourself, but not too many. There are a number of ways to approach this. Some people like to make a list of physical, mental, and spiritual goals. Others like to choose only one goal and focus on it. Whatever approach you prefer, take time now to apply everything we’ve talked about. Look at your successes and build on them; see how you could have done better in your weak areas; and, using free will, decide who you want to become in the year ahead. Paramhansa Yogananda wrote: “Picture the new year as a garden you are responsible for planting. Sow the seeds of good habits in this soil, and weed out worries and wrong actions of the past. If you are not a good gardener, you will have to come back on earth to try again.” His implication is that if we are good gardeners, we will be treading the sure path that leads to liberation. A wonderful spiritual portal opens before us with the beginning of each new year. Continued effort and determination help us to achieve our goals in life. In Sanskrit, the term, siddha, means one who has attained Self-realization, but literally it means “one who is successful.” Let us work towards this kind of success that leads to true happiness and freedom in God. Wishing you a new year filled with attaining your highest goals, Nayaswami Devi Listen to Devi as she first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (10:51): Add a comment
Transcribe →Crossing the Threshold
Dec 13, 2024Tap to summarizeEvery sincere devotee occasionally gets discouraged with their spiritual progress. For the beginner, who may sense no results from practicing meditation, it’s easy to think, “I must be doing something wrong,” or, “Maybe I’m just not good enough to meditate.” For the more mature devotee, who may have had some inner experiences, the thought can still arise, “But I don’t feel God’s presence after all my efforts. Maybe I won’t be able to achieve the goal I’m seeking.” Recently after meditation I found myself grappling with such discouraging thoughts about my own progress. At that moment an uplifting realization entered my mind and changed my perspective: “Once you realize that the material world can never provide the happiness you seek, you have crossed a threshold that inevitably leads to soul freedom.” Yoganandaji talks about the “anguishing monotony” we experience after countless incarnations of thwarted attempts to find lasting happiness in the world. Once we sincerely begin to seek higher realities and remain steadfast, our goal of finding God will itself help guide us toward fulfillment. Though we may not perceive any progress or changes in ourself, every effort we make breaks down inner barriers and moves us closer to God. I recall a memorable moment when we were taking Swami Kriyananda to an appointment. Jyotish was driving, Swamiji sat in the passenger seat, and I was in the back. Swamiji was talking about the spiritual growth that he had observed in some Ananda members. Though we rarely talked about ourselves in his presence, I surprised myself by blurting out: “I don’t think that I’ve changed all that much.” Swamiji turned around in his seat, looked me squarely in the eyes, and said with great conviction, “How can you say that? You’re an entirely different person than when you came ten years ago!” His unexpected response filled me with hope. Though I couldn’t perceive any changes within myself, his words reminded me that spiritual growth is often subtle and imperceptible. Unlike worldly goals, where success is measured by tangible results, spiritual progress requires faith that every effort brings us closer to the source of true happiness. Crossing the threshold of seeking union with God sets us on a journey where each step, no matter how small, carries us forward. Yogananda said that Christ consciousness, or Kutastha Chaitanya, God’s Infinite Presence, can be more readily perceived at this time of the year, if we but lift our hearts to receive it. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Diwali, Chanukah, or any other tradition doesn’t matter, for God’s consciousness embraces all paths. To help us attune to this Divine Presence, Yogananda started the tradition of having an eight-hour meditation on December 23rd. If you’re near an Ananda community or center, we warmly invite you to join us. For those at a distance, we offer an online meditation on December 21st. I’ll close by sharing a beautiful poem by Master called, “If You Want His Answer.” May it fill you with encouragement and hope for your spiritual journey. (One of our members has put it to music.) Whether He replies or not, Keep calling Him— Ever calling in the chamber Of continuous prayer. Whether He comes or not, Believe He is ever approaching Nearer to you With each command of your heart. Whether He answers or not, Keep entreating Him. Even if He makes no reply In the way you expect, Ever know that in some subtle way He will respond. In the darkness of your deepest prayers, Know that with you He is playing Hide-and-seek. And in the midst of the dance of life, disease, and death, If you keep calling Him, Undepressed by His seeming silence, You will receive His answer. With joy and blessings, Nayaswami Devi Listen to Devi as she first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (7:15): Add a comment
Transcribe →Building Spiritual Muscle
Nov 29, 2024Tap to summarizeOne of the most useful truths taught by Paramhansa Yogananda is: “The greater the will, the greater the flow of energy.” By pouring our energy into everything we do, we draw even more energy to accomplish it. Over time we discover that this increased energy flow comes from a higher source and enables us to succeed at whatever we’re doing. But there’s a catch here. When we exert our willpower, there will be a continual demand to put out more energy with the next task before us. This makes some people hesitate and think: “This never-ending demand to put out more energy is too much for me. I won’t be able to sustain it. I’ve done enough already.” Swami Kriyananda was an amazing example of someone whose ability to channel energy seemed limitless. He taught us that on the spiritual path there is no treading water—we are either moving forward or moving backward. Swamiji wrote: “Sooner or later we have to discover that we either progress or regress, but that there’s no standing still. As devotees, we should never complain at having to work hard. We must reach the point where it’s fun to work hard, where we experience the flow of energy as a manifestation of divine joy. We should feel that it’s a privilege to work as hard as we possibly can for God, and to be able to look back and say, ‘I gave it my all.’ This is victory.” One of my first lessons along these lines happened during my early years at Ananda when I worked at the Meditation Retreat. Its facilities were quite simple (if not to say, primitive), and it was our only retreat center at the time. There was no electricity and no phone, and computers had not yet come onto the scene. The only way we learned that guests were coming was through mailed-in reservation forms, but mostly people just showed up. For housing we could offer them tent platforms and campsites, along with an odd variety of much-used sleeping bags and pads. Late one evening after a busy day of checking in many guests, I looked at our supply room and saw that all of the sleeping bags had been lent out. Thinking that it was unlikely for anyone else to arrive, I began locking up the office. Just then a car pulled up,;a man got out and said that he was here for the weekend. “Did you bring your own tent or sleeping bag?” I asked him with concern, because we had nothing to give him. “No,” he replied, “I didn’t know that I needed to.” What a predicament! Then the thought occurred, “I can run back to my trailer, get my own sleeping bag and pad, and give him those.” This I did without letting him know, and spent that night sleeping on a hard wooden platform covered with my coat. (It wasn’t that bad.) It felt right to keep what I’d done to myself. The next morning Swami Kriyananda was scheduled to give a class in the temple. Before entering, he came up to me and said with a sweet smile, “Now you’re getting the idea.” His words at first puzzled me, and then I understood his meaning: Give your all, and don’t think about yourself. I realized that I felt very free and joyful that morning. “Half Dome,” by Nayaswami Jyotish. Inspired by Nayaswami Devi in meditation overlooking this winter scene in Yosemite. Over the years, Jyotish and I have been asked to serve in many ways and increasingly to give of ourselves. We’ve seen that the more we’re willing to do whatever is asked and put out our best effort, the more we feel an increased flow of energy sustaining us. And the essence of that flow of energy is freedom and joy. This I first felt from my experience at the Meditation Retreat. Swamiji does give us this reassurance: “God doesn’t expect you to do it all at once. There is at least that comfort. Take one step at a time. But always remember that whatever energy you’re putting out, you’re doing it so that you can develop the strength to put out more, and not so that you can say, ‘Oh, good, now I’ve done it. Now I can retire and sit in my rocking chair.’” His song “The Hill That Was Tara” ends with these lines: Ev’ry effort we spend Gives more strength in the end, Till our gladness in life’s ever new! Onwards and upwards, dear friends. With joy, Nayaswami Devi Listen to Devi as she first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (8:44): Add a comment
Transcribe →Beyond Limitations
Nov 15, 2024Tap to summarize“You will never be able to walk again.” This decree was delivered to our friend by a doctor after she’d survived a terrible car crash. She’d been driving on a narrow road in a remote part of Mexico when a truck coming around a curve crashed into her jeep, leaving her with a crushed pelvis and shattered legs. She knew it would be hours before medical help could reach her. Being a doctor herself, and though in great pain, our friend used all her will power to remain conscious so she could instruct those helping her about how to remove her body from the wreckage without causing further damage. Many hours passed before medical help arrived, and she was finally airlifted to a hospital. After hours of surgery, she awoke to find herself in a full-body cast with both legs in traction. It was at this point that the doctor delivered his seemingly inescapable verdict that she would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Our friend was a disciple of Master, however, and refused to accept this as a final decree. For three months as she remained bound in her cast, she constantly prayed and sent energy to her pelvis and leg bones. Using the technique that Yoganandaji taught in his energization exercises, she mentally tensed and relaxed these body parts, even though at first she could feel nothing. Keeping her mind focused throughout the day, every day, on this process, she gradually began to feel a flow of energy in her lower body. Finally, when the doctor removed the cast, he was amazed to discover that her crushed pelvis and legs had actually healed. Gradually she regained the ability to walk, and now, though she has a slight limp and uses a cane, she has full mobility. She is a living testament to the power of determination and faith to rise above seemingly insurmountable obstacles. I share this story with you because many people have told me how oppressed they’re feeling now by what’s happening in the world. War, political divisiveness, religious fanaticism, climate change, financial uncertainty—there are many reasons to feel crushed by things that seem out of our control. Now is the time to remember our innate power to rise above whatever challenges lie before us. Perhaps we can’t change the world, but then again, united in faith in God, perhaps we can. Swami Kriyananda said that those seeking God have chosen to incarnate at this time for a purpose—to balance the downward-flowing energy around us with light and faith in a higher reality. How do we do this? Just as our friend did, we need to keep our mind constantly focused on sending God’s energy, love, and light to ourselves, to those we know, and to the entire world. Day after day, meditate, pray, and consciously try to draw divine consciousness and grace into the world. Remember, too, that God and His saints are all very active in helping humanity now. Master said, “Perhaps you have wondered sometimes if great souls such as Jesus are lost to the world. Not at all. The great ones are all active; it is the mission of some to try to strengthen the good in this world. And to the extent that they are able to do so, through receptive minds, the devil’s power weakens and God’s power becomes stronger. “When a great saint is resurrected in Spirit, and takes a form in responding to sincere, receptive devotees, it means he has some part to play in the world’s destiny. I know that Christ, in flesh and blood, is in communion with Babaji in India. Together they are watching over the destiny of the world.” We have a battle before us if we want to break free from the downward pull of the events happening around us. Let us become those “sincere, receptive devotees” who draw the grace of the great ones to help the world now. Don’t allow naysayers like that Mexican doctor to crush your spirit. And never lose hope that there will be a new dawn of unity, peace, understanding, love, and compassion for all. Your friend in God, Nayaswami Devi Listen to Devi as she first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (08:04): Add a comment
Transcribe →My India
Nov 1, 2024Tap to summarizeOn March 7, 1952, Paramhansa Yogananda left his body as he concluded a speech in honor of the Indian Ambassador at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Swami Kriyananda, who was present that evening, describes what occurred in his book, The New Path: Master was scheduled to speak after the banquet. His brief talk was so sweet, so almost tender, that I think everyone present felt embraced in the gossamer net of his love. Warmly he spoke of India and America, and of their respective contributions to world peace and true human progress. He talked of their future cooperation. Finally he read his beautiful poem, “My India.” Throughout his speech I was busy recording his words, keeping my eyes on my notebook. He came to the last lines of the poem: Where Ganges, woods, Himalayan caves, and men dream God. I am hallowed; my body touched that sod! “Sod” became a long-drawn-out sigh. Suddenly from all sides of the room there came a loud cry. I looked up. “What is it?” I demanded of Dick Haymes, seated beside me. “What happened?” “Master fainted,” he replied. Oh, no, Master! You wouldn’t faint. You’ve left us. You’ve left us! the forgotten playwright in me cried silently. This is too perfect a way for you to go for it to mean anything else! I hastened to where Master lay. A look of bliss was on his face. March 7, 1952, just before Paramhansa Yogananda left his body as he concluded a speech in honor of the Indian Ambassador at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Jyotish and I are now in the last few days of two months in India during which we shared Master’s teachings in many different cities throughout this wonderful country. We’ve connected with a great number of dear friends, some of whom we’ve known for years, and made many new friends of people discovering Master’s work through Ananda. What a joy it has been to bathe in the spiritual vibrations of India. We want to take this opportunity to thank all those with whom we’ve connected. The kindness and heartfelt appreciation that you showered on us will remain forever as a radiant warmth in our heart. Everywhere we went, we were greeted with such loving respect, not for ourselves, but for the great master and his teachings that we follow. It was like a great dance of love in which God was showering His blessings down on His children as they gathered together in devotion and service to Him. As I think lovingly of the depth and subtlety, the personal closeness and acceptance of others, the spiritual wisdom and teachings of this glorious country, my mental vision expands beyond India’s boundaries. Like a film camera panning back, I begin to see a family of souls with joined hands and hearts circling the globe. I see those with whom we connected throughout Europe in the month before arriving in India—from Italy, Germany, Estonia, Serbia, Belgium, Holland, France, Latvia, England, Russia, and Ukraine. Expanding back further, I see the many souls in America who gathered together with Swami Kriyananda beginning some fifty-eight years ago and continue to this day to help him build Ananda in dedication and devotion to our Guru. And yet, India is the starting point for human upliftment during this cycle of time. It was here that the science of yoga was born. It was from here that our line of gurus sent Paramhansa Yogananda to America to begin uniting East and West. During our time spent in India this year, I caught a tiny glimpse of God’s plan to help His children everywhere awaken from delusion. I began to understand Master’s power to create magnetic spiritual families to carry forward his work. I see that work growing in purity of heart, clarity, and strength throughout Ananda globally. Swamiji describes this expansion in The New Path: The stronger the family, spiritually speaking, the greater its attractive pull on new souls that may still be wandering in search of an identity of their own. A family evolves with its individual members; at last it, too, becomes a “star” in the firmament of humanity, and begins to produce great souls of Self-realization. As spiritual “stars,” such great families become powerful for the general upliftment of mankind. Like stars, too, they then draw “planets” of less-evolved families into their beneficial auras, vitalizing them with rays of divine truth. Such families are like mighty nations. To them is given the real task of guiding the human race—not in the way governments do, by official ordinances, but by subtler, spiritual influence. So, my friends, my brothers and sisters in God, let us not limit our vision to our individual spiritual search, or to the challenges in our daily life. We are a part of a great family of God, come together to help others, too, to find their way to truth. Master closed his Autobiography of a Yogi with these words: “Lord, Thou hast given this monk a large family!” United in his love, let us carry his banner forward. With love and blessings in God, Nayaswami Devi Listen to Devi as she first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (09:10): Add a comment
Transcribe →Inner vs. Outer Power
Oct 18, 2024Tap to summarizeWe live in a world in which the use of power to control others seems to rule supreme. Yet there are many kinds of power. The dictator’s ability to exert force over others may appear indomitable, but history shows us that such rulers rise and eventually fall like waves on the sea. Then there’s the use of supernatural powers. Once someone said to Paramhansa Yogananda, “Your detractors are saying that you’ve lost your powers.” He replied, “I don’t know that I ever had any powers.” As a fully enlightened soul, he understood that any “powers” he manifested were God’s doing, not his. And he counseled people against focusing on such things. “The path to God,” he said, “is not a circus!” High souls like Master have developed a third kind of power which is a true expression of spiritual greatness: inner power. This is the ability to live in complete attunement with God, so that one’s actions reflect, not one’s own desires and attachments, but only divine consciousness. During our travels in India over the past two months, we’ve been launching the latest compilation of our blogs, Touch of Inner Power. Recently at the Ananda center in Pune, Jyotish and I spoke about different expressions of inner power and how they can uplift our life. Here are a few of the thoughts that we shared. The power to accept whatever comes in life with equanimity and a positive attitude develops within us unshakable inner strength. Every test that we face with the resolve to remain unperturbed helps build within us the realization that we, too, can “stand unshaken amidst the crash of breaking worlds.” Looking at the lives of spiritual heroes, you can see that they reached a point where no more testing was needed, and they stood firmly, unwaveringly in God. The power to forgive others under all circumstances is a reflection of God’s unconditional love for all. Is this easy? Of course not, but this inner power frees our consciousness from the shadows that delusion casts on our minds. Forgiveness allows us to feel God’s light shining unobstructedly through us. There’s an inspiring book, The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom, which tells the story of how she and her family hid Jewish families in Holland during World War II. Eventually they were arrested and put into a concentration camp themselves. Corrie and her family were devout Christians, and they never lost their faith in God. Unfortunately, she was the only member of her family to survive the privations of the camps. After the war, Corrie began a ministry traveling throughout the world sharing the power of God’s love. After one such gathering in Germany, a man approached her; instantly she recognized him as one of the cruelest guards in the camp in which her family had died. He, however, did not remember her. Identifying himself as a former guard at that camp who’d since become a Christian, he said, “I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fräulein,” his hand came out, “will you forgive me?” Her initial reaction was one of revulsion, filling her with the desire to turn and run from him. She prayed to God for help. Willing herself to do what she knew she must, she thrust her hand woodenly into his. “And as I did,” she later wrote, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. “I forgive you, brother!” I cried. “With all my heart!” For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then. The power to help others, even at our own expense, enables us to break down the imaginary boundaries of ego and realize our oneness with all. Swami Kriyananda has an affirmation on “Sharing” from his book Affirmations for Self-Healing: “What I give to others I give not away, for in my larger reality it remains ever mine. I am happy in the happiness of all.” The inner power to think of others’ needs before one’s own is a big stepping stone towards dissolving the ego and attaining spiritual freedom. And finally, the power to align our will with God’s will is a moment-by-moment choice that requires vigilance, awareness, and dedication. Swamiji told us that when he was uncertain about which course of action to take, he always asked himself, “What would Master do?” The question is easy enough to ask. But having the inner strength to cast aside egoic desires and follow the higher guidance one receives in reply is another matter. The more we succeed in aligning our will with God, however, the more His consciousness and power flow through us and bring us inner joy and freedom. There is a beautiful prayer on “Will Power” from Affirmations for Self-Healing: “O Infinite Power, I will use my will, but guide Thou my will in everything I do, that it reflect Thy will.” We are all so much stronger than we realize. Let’s all strive to awaken our inner powers and realize our oneness with God. With joy, Nayaswami Devi Listen to Devi as she first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (11:20): Add a comment
Transcribe →Peeling the Layers of Forgiveness
Oct 4, 2024Tap to summarizeI am always amazed at how God continually gives us different “assignments,” or areas of inner exploration, to deepen our understanding of life. Recently I was reading an article by Paramhansa Yogananda on reincarnation in which he talked about forgiveness. “Forgiveness,” he wrote, “is more powerful than revenge. I have forgiven everyone who has knowingly or unknowingly tried to annoy or hurt me.” After reading his words, it was as though a light bulb turned on in my mind. I knew that I needed to deepen my understanding of the true meaning of forgiveness. So I did a little research and came up with a very good definition: “Forgiveness is a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment toward someone who has harmed you.” This motivated me to explore areas in my life in which, consciously or unconsciously, I was harboring feelings of resentment towards others. I was surprised to discover that, like snakes rising to the surface when boiling water is poured down their hole, many little hurts and grievances from the past now arose to the surface of my mind. Master also wrote in that same article, “In the vault of the mind lie all the chains of bondage, as well as the keys to freedom.” Again, his simple words were deeply motivating. I decided it was time to break those mental chains and, using inner tools, to release all resentment I felt towards others. Even in making this decision, I began to feel freer inside. Then, in meditation, I tried bringing to my conscious awareness little incidents or recurring patterns of hurt from the past. As if I were watching a movie in which it was someone else who was hurt, I tried to concentrate on different past experiences with detachment, until I could clearly isolate and experience my feelings of resentment. In the stillness of meditation, I focused on offering these feelings up at the spiritual eye. After a few days, I could actually feel the negative patterns becoming fainter and fainter, until they finally seemed to dissolve altogether. Honestly, friends, I was both shocked and amazed at the mental freedom I felt. Then, I experienced a shift in how I thought about those situations. It became clear to me that those who’d hurt me had actually always been my friends, and that their unkind behavior had not been directed at me personally. It reflected, rather, problems they’d been facing within themselves. God wasn’t yet done with my lesson on forgiveness. At a recent satsang we gave in Delhi, someone asked us the question: “When I forgive someone, does it change them?” I remembered a story that Swami Kriyananda related in The New Path, about a dream he’d had in which he came to feel deep bitterness towards a beloved friend who’d treated him with condescension and even contempt. He realized that if he died with this attitude, his bitterness would draw the two of them back into similar, but reversed circumstances, in which he’d have the opportunity to treat his friend as badly as he had treated Swami. And that if he did so, bitterness on his friend’s part might draw them back yet again, leading perhaps to a succession of such “return engagements,” as he put it. He continued: “Why take so long?” I asked myself. “Isn’t it possible to escape these waves of retribution right now? Whatever the lessons my friend needs to learn, surely I, at least, can free myself.” Then, from the depths of my heart, I cried, “I forgive him!” At that moment, with a feeling of ineffable relief, I awoke. In that simple act of forgiveness I felt that I had actually freed myself of some karmic burden. How did this affect the other man? As Swami indicated, his personal victory did not absolve his friend of the need to learn his own lessons. And yet it did help him to this extent: When we don’t hit the tennis ball back over the net, there is no game for the person on the other side of the court to play. Something more is involved. In the article by Master to which I’ve referred, he wrote, “Those who do evil stew in their own evil. They can’t really hurt you unless you let them. Love and forgiveness have a healing effect on yourself and on your enemies.” So our forgiveness can have a transforming effect also on those who have hurt us. I felt to share with you my journey with forgiveness in the hope that it will help you, too, to experience the release of subconscious negative feelings. The goal of life is to find freedom from every pattern of action or thought that keeps us in bondage. In the Astral Ascension Ceremony that Swami Kriyananda wrote, he instructs the minister to address the departed soul with these words: “Claim your soul’s freedom! Bless all who ever harmed you, or ever wished you harm. Give them your love, and your prayer for their freedom in God.” Forgiveness is truly the first step towards that unconditional love for all that the masters in every religion have demonstrated for the world. In divine friendship, Nayaswami Devi Listen to Devi as she first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (9:27): Add a comment
Transcribe →The Gift of His Discipleship
Sep 20, 2024Tap to summarizeThe words of a spiritual master aren’t limited to a specific time, place, or even individual. Spoken in divine wisdom, such words are eternal and universal, and can apply to each of us. Jesus Christ said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul, and strength. And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” He wasn’t speaking only to those who were gathered with him at that time, but equally to you and me today. Similarly, in the Bhagavad Gita Krishna says to Arjuna, “Absorb yourself in Me; be wholly devoted to Me; worship and bow to Me alone: So shall you undoubtedly reach Me. This I promise you faithfully, for you are dear to Me.” He, too, was talking to each one of us. Jyotish and I are now in India, where we recently celebrated Swami Kriyananda’s spiritual anniversary. On September 12, 1948, when Swamiji knelt before Paramhansa Yogananda and was accepted as his disciple, a spiritual wave was set into motion that has touched and often transformed the lives of countless hundreds of thousands. During the years that Swamiji spent with him, Master made three significant statements that we can use to deepen our own discipleship. In The New Path Swamiji recounts their first meeting: What large, lustrous eyes now greeted me! What compassionate sweetness in his smile! Never before had I seen such divine beauty in a human face. “What may I do for you?” “I want to be your disciple!” The reply welled up from my heart irresistibly. Never had I expected to utter such words to another human being. . . . There ensued a long discussion, interspersed by long silences. . . . “All right,” he said at last. “You have good karma. You may join us.” . . . Gazing at me now with deep love, he said, “I give you my unconditional love.” This promise is given to every one of us when we sincerely open our heart, for one of the guru’s roles is to be a channel for God’s love to all of his spiritual children. True discipleship is much more than just following the guru’s teachings and practices. It is the knowing from deep within that we’ve been given a love unconditioned by time or events. This love will eventually become, as it did for Swamiji, the fulfillment of our heart’s longing and the central reality of our life. The second significant statement that Master made to Swamiji is also related in The New Path: One day I was standing with Herbert Freed, one of the ministers. . . . Herbert was to leave that afternoon to become the minister of our church in Phoenix, Arizona, and Master was giving him last-minute instructions. After a pause, Master said quietly: “You have a great work to do.” Turning to Herbert, I smiled my felicitations. “It is you I’m talking to, Walter [Swamiji].” The “great work” Master referred to was Swamiji’s life work of spreading his guru’s teachings. This Swamiji did through starting communities, writing books, lecturing, and in many other ways also making the spiritual path accessible to people around the world. This work is ours as well to do, not with a sense of self-importance, but with the understanding that our life has a deeper purpose. We have joined our energy to the wave of uplifting consciousness that Master brought to the world. In so doing, we, too, are a part of his mission. This “great work” on our part entails first and foremost our wholehearted dedication to achieving life’s true purpose: union with God. In this pursuit we become, like Swamiji, living examples to all of true discipleship. Finally, Swamiji shares a third significant statement that Yogananda made to him, three days before the Master’s passing on March 7, 1952: . . . For some months I had been hungering for a few words of approval from him. Now, alone with me, he gazed into my eyes with deep love and understanding, and said, “You have pleased me very much. I want you to know that.” What a burden lifted from my heart at these few, simple words! I think it’s fair to say that every spiritual seeker has felt that his or her striving falls short of the goal that we set for ourself. But remember, God knows our heart. Every test that we face with courage; every attempt at deepening our meditation; even, in fact, every failed effort is received by God. Don’t judge yourself for your failures. Rejoice, rather, that God and Guru are pleased with you for making an effort. In celebrating Swamiji’s discipleship we are really celebrating the great gift to ourselves as well of the guru-disciple relationship. Swamiji’s experiences with Master can be guiding lights for our own life. In fact, the more we deepen our attunement with the guru, the more Swamiji’s discipleship becomes our own. With divine love in God and Guru, Nayaswami Devi Watch a video by a devotee created in honor of Swamiji’s discipleship anniversary here. Listen to Devi as she first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (9:26): Add a comment
Transcribe →Timeless Saints
Sep 6, 2024Tap to summarizeWhen Paramhansa Yogananda came to Europe in 1935 on his way to India, he stopped to visit Assisi, Italy. While there, Master made a special trip to a place sanctified by the presence of St. Francis, called “L’Eremo delle Carceri.” Roughly translated, this means “Hermitage of Secluded Places,” though over time “carceri” came also to mean “prison.” Deeply inspired by his visit there, Master called St. Francis his “patron saint,” and later said, “I felt Christ’s presence everywhere in Assisi, but on the little forest paths of L’Eremo, I saw him walking by my side.” What is the story behind this holy place? In 1205 Francis and a few of his fellow monks were walking, as was their wont, through the countryside outside of Assisi. As they began climbing the forested slopes of Mt. Subasio, which rises high above the town itself, they discovered an area that was dotted with many small caves. Francis found a tiny cave that would be perfect for seclusion and prayer. Brother Leo and the others soon followed his example, and each of them chose a little cave in which to dwell and focus his thoughts on God. Here they happily lived deep in prayer and contemplation. Francis and his brothers could easily have remained there for the rest of their life, but at a certain point after deep prayer, this humble saint knew that Christ wanted him to leave his place of seclusion. His mission was to share his joyful love for God and all of creation with others, and so he did for the remaining twenty years of his life, until he died at the early age of forty-six. Many miraculous events took place during Francis’s life. At one point, he asked his spiritual sister, Clare, to join him to discuss how to bring a life of prayer and simplicity to those who had followed them. St. Clare, who like Francis was canonized as a saint, was the founder of what is now known as the Order of Poor Clares, and was the first woman to write guidelines to create a monastic order. During their discussion, they became so enrapt in the presence of God that a light began to emanate from them, filling the countryside. The people of Assisi saw this brilliant light and feared that a great fire had started. They raced towards this blazing light to find, not a conflagration, but Francis and Clare sitting quietly, lost in contemplation of God. Over the centuries a small monastery and chapel were built near the caves, but L’Eremo remains essentially as it was in St. Francis’s time. The huge grey stones and little caves of Mt. Subasio are millions of years old, yet they are alive still with divine consciousness. Timelessly, they carry the inspiration of the great saints who once dwelt there. Jyotish and I, along with our dear friends Anand and Kirtani, decided to visit L’Eremo during our last few days in Assisi. This past month has been a very busy one here, filled with many classes, satsangs, and joyful social gatherings. As soon as we entered those holy grounds, we were struck by the spiritual power and pristine beauty there. But most of all, we felt enveloped by a wave of interiorization and peace that emanates from the very stones. Thinking of Master as we walked the forest paths, we were spiritually refreshed by the spirit of God that remains there to this day. All of us, in the midst of the busyness of life, need to remember to find times and places to which we can withdraw in solitude and renew our souls. This interiorization, through meditation and prayer, enables us to live in the spirit of the great souls who have come before us. St. Francis walked the forests of L’Eremo nearly a thousand years ago, and ninety years have elapsed since Yogananda’s visit. But the power of great saints remains in such places, blessing and guiding all who come there to follow in their footsteps until we, too, find the inner kingdom of God. In his beautiful song, “God’s Call Within,” Swami Kriyananda wrote: Turn, turn, turn within: In silence of soul, in cave of love Find My abode. With love and joy, Nayaswami Devi Listen to Devi as she first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (8:59): Add a comment
Transcribe →Crystal Clarity
Aug 23, 2024Tap to summarizeJyotish and I are presently at Ananda’s Assisi community helping with programs here during their busy month of August. This week we’re taking part in a course called “Ananda: A Spiritual Lifestyle,” sharing the principles upon which cooperative communities are based. “World brotherhood colonies,” as Paramhansa Yogananda called them, are an important aspect of his world mission, one that he said would be the “lifestyle for the New Age.” Whether or not you are a part of such a community, its guiding principles can enrich and enhance every aspect of your life. Swami Kriyananda called this approach to living “Crystal Clarity,” and he defined it in this way: To live in Crystal Clarity means to see oneself, and all things, as aspects of a greater reality; to seek to enter into conscious attunement with that reality; and to see all things as channels for the expression of that reality. It means to see truth in simplicity; to seek always to be guided by the simple truth, not by opinion; and by what IS, not by one’s own desires or prejudices. It means striving to see things in relation to their broadest potential. In one’s association with other people, it means seeking always to include their realities in one’s own. Here are five practical ways to express this key concept, Crystal Clarity, which is at the heart of Ananda communities: Cooperation, Communication, Concentration, Creativity, and Conscious Awareness. Ananda means “joy,” and by expressing each of these aspects, you will find an increasing level of joy in your life. Cooperation is based on the effort always to include others’ realities in your own. At Ananda we recognize that there is a broad spectrum of individual realities. When making decisions we ask not, “What do I want?” but rather, “What is trying to happen?” The result—be it in a family, an office staff, or an entire community—is that each individual feels respected and harmony prevails. True Communication requires that everyone listen to others, and feel heard by them as well. It becomes possible when truth, not opinions, is made its underlying basis. When people live in accordance with these high principles, group consensus can easily be reached. An unspoken understanding and trust develops among people who have this kind of open, honest communication. Concentration often results when we can see the big picture, and how our own little part fits into it. This kind of concentration is born not of self-focused tension, but of a calmness that comes when we see ourself as a channel for a higher power. Action undertaken with this kind of attentive awareness is usually highly effective, and brings with it inner joy as we experience ourself as part of a greater reality. Creativity is a natural offshoot of living in Crystal Clarity, because it helps you to tune in to God’s endless variety as expressed in His creation. We’re having great fun during our visit here watching snails crawl across the patio of the apartment in which we’re staying. As we observe the unique beauty of each shell, the thought arises, “If God can express creativity in every tiny aspect of life, surely we can bring fresh eyes and energy to everything that we do.” Creativity and joy go hand in hand. And finally, there is Conscious Awareness, in which we seek attunement with a greater reality. Increasingly I realize that expanding awareness is the hidden goal for all of life: from a little moth, to a beautiful snail, to you and me. When we begin to understand—through meditation, devotion, and a conscious effort to know God—that we are so much more than our little ego, true joy naturally begins to fill our life. When we join together with others in a shared understanding, we magnetically draw divine grace that uplifts each of us beyond our own efforts. This is the true essence of Ananda’s spiritual lifestyle, which is available to anyone who strives to live by these principles. We invite you to join us in this great community of Spirit. Nayaswami Devi Listen to Devi as she first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (9:57): Add a comment
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