Tirthlineage

P.P. Shri Narayankaka Dhekane Maharaj was born in a devout religious family on 3rd July 1927, in the city of Dhule. He holds a degree of B.Sc. and the degree of B.E. (Civil). He was also conferred the degree of M.E. (P&H) by the University of Calcutta. He was superannuated as Superintending Engineer in Bombay. Prior to that he served in the State of Maharashtra in its water supply department and other various divisions. At Nasik he served "MERI" (Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute) Nasik, in which he held a high-ranking position. He was awarded a Gold Medal by the Institute of Engineers for conducting a research in the field of Water Analysis.

Shri Narayankaka Dhekane Maharaj is the chief commiserate and chief Trustee of the said Trust.

Since his childhood Shri Narayankaka was attracted towards the study of Sanskrit, Indian Philosophy and Yoga. While he was undergoing college education in 1950, he was initiated into the Siddhayoga by P.P. Brahmalin Shri Loknath Tirth Swami Maharaj, who came from Bengal. Shri Narayankaka embraced celibacy, practiced devoutly the path of the Siddha Yoga and has achieved the unique status of a Spiritual Master.

The disciples of P.P. Shri Loknath Tirth Swami Maharaj are spread far and wide. Of them the foremost are P.P. Shri Gulawani Maharaj and P.P. Shri Narayankaka Dhekane Maharaj, who have initiated numerous aspirants into the path of awakening the serpent power (Kundalini) on a large scale. Thanks to this stupendous task! Their innumerable disciples are all over India and abroad. Some of them have also set up Siddhayoga centres in many cities and towns. Nursing a desire that everyone be a follower of Siddhayoga, Shri Narayankaka's efforts to propagate the knowledge and information of this path are being relentlessly continued. He delivered lectures on the Siddhayoga in the International Spiritual conferences held at Banglore, Pondicherry, Mumbai, Pune and several other places where the delegates were charmed by the path of Siddhayoga.

P.P. Shri Narayankaka Dhekane Maharaj is also the chief Trustee of Shri Vasudev Niwas Trust; Pune set up by P.P. Bramhaleen Gulavani Maharaj. He also received blessings from P.P. Bramhaleen Shri Dutt Maharaj Kavishwar. Aspirants irrespective of caste, creed, community, age and sex can be initiated by P.P. Narayankaka provided he or she is ready to observe the rules laid down by this path. Anybody in the world can receive initiation from him by sending a Prayer-letter.

P.P.Narayankaka constantly imparts the knowledge of transmission of power (Shaktipata) to all disciples and seekers in the Maha Yoga Niwas Trust, set up at Nasik, where a meditation hall has been provided for all disciples to perform disciples daily. On Sundays, disciples take advantage of participating in a group meditation in the holy presence of P.P. Shri Narayankaka.

P.P. SHRI LOKNATH TIRTH MAHARAJ MAHAYOGA TRUST

Bhagyodaya, Near Pumping Station, Shreerang Nagar, Gangapur Road

City: Nasik Zip Code: 422013 State: Maharastra Country: INDIA

Telephone # 91-253-2311616

Website: http://www.kundalinishaktipatayoga.com

Alternate Website: http://heritage.eth.net/kundalinishaktipatayoga/aboutus.html

E-Mail: [email protected]

Personal E-Mail Address of Shri N.Y. Dhekane Maharaj: [email protected]

Sadguru N.Y. Dhekane Maharaj: Residing at Ashram and authorized by (Brahamaleen) His Holiness Loknath Tirth Maharaj to bless spiritual aspirants through Shaktipat (Awakening of Kundalini Shakti) Initiation.

Swami Loknath Tirth Ji Maharaj

The events unfolding in the temple of Goddess Kali presaged the birth of a Divine boy in the family of the Chakravarty’s who were the priests of the Dhakeshwari temple. The wife of Chakravarty Babu, the temple priest, was sitting in front of Goddess Kali, watching her husband performing Pooja (worship). Suddenly her body was charged with a surge of Divine Energy which made her rotate like a top spinning about its axis. Her face was effulgent.

Thus with the blessings of the Divine Mother on Sunday 8th May 1892 on "Amrit Siddhi Yog" day, was born a Divine baby boy who was named as ‘Yogeshchandra’.

Yogeshchandra was a very handsome and homely and had a natural attraction towards the Goddess right from childhood. He would sit in meditation with eyes closed in front of the Goddess. He had an elephantine memory and mastered all religious rituals like Sandhya, Pooja, etc. at a very early age. In the absence of his father, even in his childhood, he could shoulder the temple responsiblities.

Unfortunately the Chakravarty family had a heritage of a short span of life, and Yogeshchandra’s father too expired prematurely. Thus, Yogesh had to stop his education after fifth standard and had to seek a job. He devoted his time to Goseva (serving the cows), Matruseva (serving his mother) and Jaganmata seva (serving the Divine Mother). The shock of his father’s demise had made him introspective and he began to aspire for the eternal spiritual life. He prayed to the Goddess earnestly to give him a Guru who would guide him on the spiritual path.

Seeing his devoutedness and earnestness, the Goddess manifested herself and showed him his Satguru and also gave him the address of his residence. Bidding farewell to family Yogeshchandra left his home to meet his Satguru P.P. Atmanand Brahmachari. The Satguru conferred upon him "Brahmacharya Deeksha" as Yogeshchandra had vowed to remain celibate for the rest of his life and renamed him as Brahmachari Yogeshchandra Prakash. Later on the Satguru also initiated him into Mahayoga / Shaktipaat Yoga / Sahaj Yoga / Siddhayoga / Kundalini Yoga by conferring on him Shaktipaat Deeksha or Vedha Deeksha.

After the Deeksha of Shaktipaat both the disciple and his Satguru went to Dhyan Sadhan Math where Satguru P.P. Shri Narayan Tirth Swami Maharaj, the Guru of P.P. Atmanand Brahmachari resided.

The Swami Maharaj was pleased to receive both his disciple and his disciple’s disciple. Brahmachari Yogeshchandra served both his Satguru and Paramguru earnestly and performed meditation in their company for a period of two years. He got a variety of divine experiences and rapidly advanced spiritually.

Thereafter Satguru Atmanand Brahmacharya took Brahmachari Yogeshchandra Prakash back to his home to obtain consent of the mother of Yogeshchandra to give him Sanyas deeksha. Yogesh’s mother gladly consented. Thereupon Yogesh obtained Sanyas Deeksha, committing himself to a life of total renunciation, from P.P. Swami Tripurling Saraswati at the age of 22 and was renamed as Swami Chinmayanand Saraswati.

Both Shri Chinmayanand Saraswati and his Satguru then returned to P.P. Narayan Tirth Swami Maharaj, who blessed both of them and placed the responsibility of spreading the Mahayoga message on the shoulders of young Chinmayanand. Satguru P.P. Atmanand now permitted Swami Chinmayanand to carve out his path independently.

Swami Chinmayanand thus set out for the Himalayas where he stayed in Tehri Garwhal performing constant spiritual practices for two years.

One day the "Chit Shakti" (Divine Power) instructed him to go to the South. Thus Swamiji left the Himalayas and reached Hathras. Here the Goddess in a vision asked him to go further South. A kind railway passenger gave him a ticket to Hoshangabad.

At Hoshangabad, some miscreants played a cruel trick upon Swamiji and recommended to him for staying a haunted house. The history of this house was that anyone who entered it was found dead the next day. But the miscreants were taken aback next day when in the morning they found Swamiji unscathed. Swamiji had not only defended himself but had also mercifully granted released to the tortured souls from their ghostly existence.

At Hoshangabad P.P. Gulavani Maharaj became the disciple of Swamiji. Swamiji conferred Shaktipaat Deeksha upon him and several others. They all experienced the Divine Power operating upon themselves and were amazed at these experiences. Thus Swami Chinmayanand started spreading the Siddhayoga message.

After sometime Swami Chinmayanand obtained "Dandi Sanyas" from his Satguru and was renamed as Shri Loknath Tirth on 30-1-1927 Poush Vadya Dwadashi day. He travelled in various parts of India, propagating Siddhayoga. In between his travels he would go and stay in Kashi. His life was controlled by the Divine Mother and he would confer "Shaktipaat Deeksha" wherever he ordained it.

The Swami had tremendous spiritual knowledge, knowledge of Tantra, Mantra, Siddhis (Powers) such as distant hearing and seeing (clairvoyance and clairaudience), knowledge of Divine healing as well as healing with plants, herbs, etc. He never liked to perform miracles for popularity and yet people were attracted towards him tremendously. Sometimes he would behave in such a way as to invite criticism and insult in order to practice developing tolerance and also to scare away excessive crowds of people. He also composed religious poetry, shlokas and sung them in a melodious voice. His routine started at 4 a.m. in the morning with several hours of meditation followed by bath and bhiksha (simple food).

His food habits were very simple. After a short rest in the noon, he would start reading, writing and meeting visitors, etc. He would go for a walk in the evening. Then he would perform Sandhaya, partake a frugal dinner and conduct hymns and discourses. He preferred to retire early.

Shri Swami had a fatherly affection for his disciples. He had a divine power to foresee calamities that would befall them and sometimes he would alert them in advance and present himself at the spot of the calamity to reduce their distress and help them.

Although Swamiji disliked performing miracles, there are several instances of his doing so when required. Those interested in knowing more about these it may refer to his biography. Many of them were healing miracles, besides others.

Swamiji was free from attachment pleasures. Once when Swami Tripurling Saraswati offered him the position of a Cardinal Designate of a rich prestigious Math (Spititual institution) at Dhakka. But he declined. One of his disciples had created an Ashram for the residence of Swamiji. But this disciple later faced financial crisis, as he had ignored a forewarning by the Swamiji. Seeing the disciples plight, Swamiji sold off the Ashram to help him to pay his debts. In the last moments of his life, he admitted to one of his disciples that although he had several spiritual powers, even those of lowering, increasing body weight, floating on water, etc. besides the earlier mentioned ones he never did use them for any personal material benefit of his disciples because doing so would have proved an obstruction to true spiritual welfare. He said that in today’s world, purity in action was very difficult and that the Shaktipat Yoga way of life is guaranteed to ensure spiritual progress in the present difficult times.

Throughout his life, Swamiji’s health would often deteriorate, but he would always remained in a joyous mood despite his ill health and never changed his routine. Later, in Feb’1955 he called together his disciples in Kashi and told them about his intention to leave the earthly body and how to manage the matters after his demise. He asked them to put his body in a stone box and leave it in the Ganga. He also told them to perform a Pooja of goddess Kali and give offerings to 54 virgins. He told them that they would see a sign at that moment. On Wednesday 9th Feb’1955 at 12 p.m. Swamiji gave up his earthly body, The functions as instructed by him were carried out. On the 14th day thereafter 54 virgins sat in a row on wooden seats. Plates of food were placed before them. At that time, as mentioned by Swamiji before his passing away, a miracle took place. A flame of light emerged out of the statue of the Goddess and floated before the eyes of each of the virgins and traversed back to the Goddess. Everyone prostrated to this Divine light. Thus, the Emperor of pure consciousness Chaitanya Chakravarty P.P. Shroi Loknath Tirth Swami Maharaj was liberated and attained MOKSHA.

Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirth Ji Maharaj

Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirth Maharaj was the Sanyas Guru of Swami Vishnu Tirth Maharaj. A Sanyas Guru is a spiritual teacher who initiates one into the system of, sanyas, or renunciation. He lived in the Siddhayoga Center of Benaras after his own initiation into Sanyas by Swami Bharati Krishna Tirth Maharaj, who was the Shankaracharya of Jagannathpuri at that time. The following is a brief account of his career.

Swami Shakar Purushottam Tirth Maharaj, originally known as Shri Venukumar Chattopadhyaya, was born in Lakshmipur in the District of Tripura in East Bengal in the year 1890. His parents were religious people and this had a definite bearing on the inclinations of his mind from the beginning of his life. He also carried strong spiritual seeds accumulated by virtuous deeds in his past life. He had a natural tendency to live in the company of holy men and to be absorbed in spiritual pursuits. His mother died when he was only five years old, but he consoled his other three brothers by telling them this: "It is true that human beings have their individual mothers but there is a Divine Mother who is the mother of all. She in fact is the mistress of this world and is the beginning and end of all. Our mother has merged into Her. She will certainly give us the best care and remove our sufferings."

Shri Venukumar, in fact, thus forgot his worldly mother and became a lifelong worshiper of Divine Mother Kali, whose blessings he sought throughout his life. After dedicating himself completely to her, he visited many holy places and stayed in a number of spiritual centers. In spite of these efforts, his desire to have a direct experience of the Divine Mother remained unfulfilled. Ultimately he received the blessings of Swami Narayan Tirth Maharaj at Madaripur who captivated him for the remainder of his life.

Swami Narayan Tirth Maharaj initiated him into the Shaktipat system and he enrolled as a Brahmachari there. For eight years he served his Guru continuously with untiring labor. East Bengal is a unique country because nearly the entire area is covered by water for about eight months out of the year. To collect dry firewood, beg for food from nearby areas and provide meals for a number of guests visiting the Ashram at such a time was never an easy job. Furthermore, since his teacher was a great disciplinarian, the disciples were punished for even their smallest faults. Shri Venukumar was, however, very open minded and patient. Ultimately, Swamiji declared Venukumar to have stood successful to the test and blessed him to go out and propagate the Shaktipat system in the world.

Shri Venukumar, who had come to be known as Brahmachari Atmananda Prakash, traveled far and wide and met a number of holy persons. He continued to do his spiritual practices and finally requested Sanyas initiation from Swami Narayan Tirth. Swamiji directed him to Swami Bharati Krishna Tirth of Jagannathpuri, the Shankaracharya of Govardhan Math. Swami Bharati Krishna Tirth kindly accepted Brahmachariji and named him Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirth Maharaj after initiating him into Sanyas.

Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirth Maharaj laid the foundation of a center in Uttar Kashi near the bank of the Bhagirathi River. He called this center the Shankar Math. Since his following consisted mostly of people from West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the disciples were worried that Swamiji would not be able to spend much time with them. Therefore, another center named Siddhiyog Ashram at Varanashi was built for him shortly after this.

Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirth Maharaj initiated a number of disciples into the Shaktipat system and wrote several books in Bengali such as Yoga Wani, Japa Sadhana, and Guruvani which were later translated into Hindi. He also wrote a short treatise in English entitled Who Am I? Swamiji gave up his mortal body in 1958 in Calcutta and merged with Divine Mother Kali. The books Guru Vani and Yoga Vani have also been translated into English and are available from: Ayurveda Holistic Center in New York, USA

Swami Narayan Tirth Ji Maharaj

Swamiji was born on during Kali Puja at midnight on 6th November, 1915. He was born in the village of Varajuri, Near Dhanbad, Bihar , and named as Kalipada Acharya. He first embarked upon His path of renunciation in 1939 (at the beginning of World War II). Leaving his home, he headed directly to Puri where he met Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha. After spending five or six days there, they both came to Varanasi. Kalipada took diksha from Swamiji, and the name Sri Vasudev Prakash Brahmachary. In 1950 he was initiated into sanyas. Later, Swami Narayan Tirtha was left in charge of the Siddhayogashram and Shankar Math by His guru, Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha.

Sri Swami Narayan Tirtha traveled widely on pilgrimage covering almost all the reputed religious places & temples. He was a greatly respected religious leader throughout Benares, Uttakashi, and elsewhere in India. Besides religious deliberations he carried out various social/educational duties to redress the distress of suffering humanity.

One of the many rare qualities found in Guruji was that he was quite accessible - his door was open to all who required his darshan. Further, through the power of his silence only, he made great things be accomplished through his shishyas efforts – events that no ordinary person could achieve on their own.

Swamiji is the Sanyas Guru of Swami Shivom Tirth.

Swamiji was also lovingly called Baba by many of his shishyas. In 1988 Baba gave His blessings to his American disciple, Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha to open an ashram in his name in USA named, Swami Narayan Tirtha Math, located in Bayville, Long Island, New York.

In last decade of his life, Baba loved to spend most of the year in Shankar Math, Uttarkashi, leaving his disciple, Swami Atmananda Tirthaji to run Siddhayogashram.

On 2nd March, 2001 Shri Shri Shrimat 1008 Guru Dev, Swami Narayan Tirtha Maharaj, took Mahasamadhi at His Siddhayogashram in Varanasi. He left Swami Atmanandaji to run the two ashrams in India.

Swami Narayan Dev Tirth Ji Maharaj

The Shaktipat Initiation of Swami Narayan Tirth Dev Maharaj was celebrated at the Swami Shivom Tirth New York Ashram on April 25, 1993. Shri Swami Shivom Tirth Maharaj, was in attendance and he addressed the audience with remarks concerning the significance of this great event. Several other people spoke concerning events from the life of Swami Narayan Tirth, and the following is a transcript of one of these talks:

Today I would like to talk a bit about a marvelous incident which occurred over one hundred years ago. The event I would like to talk about took place in a remote part of Eastern India during the latter part of the nineteen century. It involved a solitary man, one who had withdrawn from the world and given up all thoughts of worldly pleasures. This holy man lived in a small cottage near a pond called Chandan Talab. Although nowadays this area has become a populated area, in those days the cottage was very isolated and sat next to a great forest. This secluded sannyasin lived a life of renunciation, spiritual practices, and meditation far from any village or farm. He was full of divine energy, but, because of the high state of his mind, this great man made no attempt to preach or otherwise attract any followers. This saintly man was named Swami Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj.

Swami Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj lived a very simple, solitary life, yet he was very concerned with the affairs of the world. His only contact with the outside world was through a disciple, a humble man who provided his Guru with food by begging in a nearby village. One day, the yogic powers of Swami Gangadhar Tirth revealed to him that difficult times were ahead for ordinary people because of the effects of the age or era in which we now live. The period in which we now live, as you know, is called the Kali- Yuga, or the Age of Darkness. The Swami knew that the effects of the Kali- Yuga made it very difficult for ordinary people to remain on any spiritual path. He knew people

would need help in finding spiritual illumination, since the influence of the Kali-Yuga made it difficult for people to advance spiritually unless they had already progressed to a high state of awareness. A most important aspect of this account is that Swami Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj had been blessed with the discovery of a very special means of awakening spiritual consciousness. This was truly a great discovery, since previously the awakening of spiritual consciousness was very difficult. Few people qualified for receiving help even from very advance souls. Because of the effects of the Kali-Yuga, no means were available to advance the cause of ordinary seekers because of these factors.

Now, although the great holy man was in possession of this marvelous means of assisting people in spiritual advancement, he was in a difficult position. He was restrained from spreading word of this remarkable method of awakening the sleeping spiritual energy in a person because of his unique state of awareness. He was in such a high state of spiritual bliss (samadhi) that it was not within his means to mix with people, to give talks, and to otherwise spread the news of this beneficial spiritual power. So he remained in solitude, waiting for that special person who would come to receive his gift, and to spread that gift among all those who had desires for spiritual advancement.

The remarkable event that was to take place also involved a young man, almost a boy. The boy was born as Kali Kishore in 1870 in East Bengal in what was then eastern India. He was born into a poor family and was married while he was still very young. However, even at that young age, he longed for a life of spirituality. Along with this longing for a spiritual way of life, he possessed many spiritual qualities. These qualities included detachment from worldly longings and control of his emotions. Soon, this yearning for a spiritual life became very uncomfortable for him, because it led him to make a decision that had a great effect on his later life. Kali Kishore decided at last to leave his home and family in order to seek out someone who could show him the way to find God.

Therefore, he renounce his home and family, and took up the ways of a wandering monk. He traveled widely, and he visited many holy places and sought the company of saintly persons. When he heard stories of holy men giving talks on spiritual matters, he would immediately go wherever they were rumored to be to hear their lectures. But, although he listened to a great many talks and spent as much time as possible in the company of these great men, he still

felt unsatisfied, because these men did not reveal to him the truth he longed for. One day the young man was talking about his quest with another man, a Brahmachari, who was also dedicated to the quest for spiritual upliftment. When this Brahmachari learned of the longings of Kali Kishore, he told him of a saintly man who lived alone in a secluded woods, and suggested that this great man might assist him in his search. So the young man decided to accompany the Brahmachari to visit this secluded saint.

So it was that, one day, the young Kali Kishore came and stood before Swami Gangadhar Tirth. We know a little about the thoughts that entered their minds as they met. We know that the spiritual master Swami Gangadhar Tirth joyfully received this young aspirant, because he instantly recognized that here before him was a disciple worthy to receive the special power of spiritual awakening that he had waited so long to share with the world. And young Kali Kishore realized that here was a true sage, one who was capable of taking him to his goal of God- Realization. The Swami questioned the young man and found out about his great desire for a spiritual way of life. He was also informed by Kali Kishore that he had no family ties and was free to take on whatever duties were required of him. And so it was that Swami Gangadhar Tirth immediately arranged for the initiation of the young man with the special system of spiritual awakening that he had discovered.

On the very next morning, just as thousands have done since then, the young man rose early in the morning to take his bath and prepare himself for his spiritual blessing. He carefully bathed, per the direction of the Swami, in the waters of the pond named Chandan Talab near the cottage. At 4:00 AM, he appeared before his Guru, but, being a poor wanderer, he didn't have even a single rupee or any gift to give to his new master, as was the custom. But such gifts from an initiate were not important to this sage. And so, the great Swami, using his special method of transmission of spiritual energy, initiated Kali Kishore and activated the Kundalini power within him. On April 25, 1889, Shri Swami Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj initiated his first and only known disciple. Shakti, the divine internal power, became immediately active within the young man at the time of his initiation, and he felt the powerful experience of the awakened Kundalini. His body started to shake and tremble; he experienced moods of crying and laughing. All these movements were happening without any conscious thought on his part; they were all the play of an awakened Kundalini within him. The young man was filled with a great joy and was in a heightened state of awareness for three days. On the third day, however, the great Swami had a vision which disturbed him. In his meditation,

Swami Gangadhar Tirth saw that this new disciple was not free of family obligations as he had said. When questioned, the young man admitted that he had left behind a wife, mother, and brothers and sisters.

Such were the powers of this Swami Gangadhar Tirth that he could recall the divine energy he had just activated in this boy. He announced his decision, stating that although Kundalini was activated, the boy would not continue to experience the marvelous benefits of Shakti. The Swami told the boy that he must return to his home and fulfill his duties to his wife and family. However, in spite of his disappointment with the boy for his lie, he could not still contain his joy in knowing what the future held for this new disciple. The mahatma therefore revealed to the boy that he should not be disappointed. "You should not be impatient," the swami revealed, "Everything will be right in the course of time. I have given you a spark of fire. This will surely spread over many parts of the world after some period of time."

Thus the disciple obeyed his new spiritual master, and returned home to fulfill his duties to his wife and family. Surely he was disappointed in, having seemingly reached the great object he had longed for, now saw it, for all he knew, taken away forever. Yet, the young disciple remained true to his Guruji, and upon reaching his home, found a job to provide for his family. Although he continued to sit in meditation, all signs of the awakened Kundalini were missing. Still, he continued his spiritual practices according to the instructions given him by his Guru. And so it was that, one morning, exactly nineteen years, six months, and thirty days later, that he sat down for his morning meditation as usual. Then, suddenly, he again felt the rush of spiritual fire within him. He felt the ecstatic flow of divine energy return to him. He knew then that his Gurugi's promise had been true, and that he was now fit to resume his great journey. Rising from meditation, with the great glow of awakened Kundalini still active within his breast, he immediately began to settle his affairs so that he could devote himself to his awakened spiritual energy. Now that all obligations to home and family were fulfilled, he was free to live the life of a renunciate.

He quit his job, and constructed a small cottage outside his home town, where he lived and meditated. His meditative ecstasy was strong and constant. One day, he felt an intense spiritual rapture come over him, and gazing upon a statue of Divine Kali, he felt the sudden urge to clean the statue. He picked up the statue and wiped it clean. Suddenly, the statue began to shine with an intense light, and in a flash of divine insight, he realized that his duty was

to awaken the same brilliance within the hearts of men and women. He cast off his ordinary clothes, and put on the saffron robes of a god-seeking man. He took the name Swami Narayan Tirth and began to receive and bestow blessings on worshipers who heard stories of this new holy man. This power which was now completely active in the Swami was, of course, the system we now know as Shaktipat. And so it was that, instead of being lost, Shaktipat, this most beneficial method of spiritual awakening, was preserved for us and for future generations.

Swami Narayan Tirth soon began to initiate others into the Shaktipat system and as the number of followers grew, he founded a meditation center. The great spiritual personality of Swami Narayan Tirth bloomed as the years went by. The mood of ecstatic communion was constant in this great man, and it was said that he was in continuous meditation. Among the great teachings left by this saint, the following teaching is beautiful in its clarity and simplicity:

1. Get up early before sunrise every day without fail. Fold up your bed and sit in meditation after performing the morning bath.2. Nature is infinite and extravagant. It is capable of giving you anything you need. You should, however, exploit it to the extent you need. The sources of nature should never be wasted.3. Lead a simple life and cherish high spiritual principles. Remain constant during pleasure or pain. Take your work to be the worship of God.4. Do not interfere mentally in the movements of Shakti during meditation. Surrender yourself completely to Shakti, and give it liberty to operate upon you. Remain a witness throughout and rejoice while Shakti has its play in you.

Finally, and of great importance to us, among those he initiated was Shri Yoganandaji Maharaj Shri Yoganandaji Maharaj in turned initiated Shri Swami Vishnu Tirth Maharaj who initiated our present day Guru-Maharaj, Shri Swami Shivom Tirth Maharaj Thus this majestic power of spirituality has been handed down and this same power is now available to all of us. Because of this important event, the science of Shaktipat is now spreading all over the world, as predicted by Shri Swami Gangadhar Tirth over one hundred years ago.

Swami Gangadhar Tirth Ji MaharajThe Shaktipat system of Yoga begins with Swami Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj.

Although this system is quite old, it has existed secretly like an undercurrent in Hindu society and has been known to a few spiritual aspirants in different places from time immemorial. The end of the nineteenth century witnessed the revival of this tradition with Swami Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj. Swami Gangadhar Tirth was born into a Brahmin family in District Mathura in the northern part of India. Who initiated him into the Shaktipat system, what was the extent of his realizations, and where he stayed during his formative years is not known What information has been gained about him is only this: He had a small cottage near a pond named Chandan Talab in Jagannathpuri in the eastern part of India. This swami was so full of renunciation, fond of solitude and engrossed in his spiritual practices that he neither left his cottage nor invited people to come to his place. Even people living nearby did not know that a realized soul was living near them. During this time, the revered Swamiji was only attended by a single devotee named Karali who used to arrange for food by begging in the nearby village. Swamiji was so indifferent toward the world that he initiated only one disciple into the system of Shaktipat. This one disciple, named Kali Kishore, came to be known as Shri Swami Narayan Tirth Dev Maharaj. It is also a mystery as to when Swami Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj left his mortal body because his only disciple, Swami Narayan Tirth Dev Maharaj, had gone back to his home state of East Bengal after having been initiated into the system of Shaktipat.

Swami Vishnu Tirth Ji Maharaj

Swami Vishnu Tirth Maharaj, also known as Munilal Swami, was born in Jazzar of the District of Rohtak in Haryana State. He always had a love for spiritualism. While still a young man, he had a divine experience that occurred while living in a hostel as a student. He was resting on his roof at night when he saw a huge circle of fire approaching. Ultimately this circle of fire entered into his person and disappeared. He thereafter experienced a sort of intoxication and trembling in the form of automatic movements and breath control.

After passing his matriculation, Munilal stayed with his uncle who was employed by the Railways at Nagpur, where he obtained his undergraduate degree. After graduation, he married and was employed as a teacher in Bilaspur

in Madhya Pradesh. While teaching, he simultaneously obtained a postgraduate degree and passed the L.L.B. from Aligarh University. Thereafter he began practicing as a lawyer in Ghaziabad Tehsil of the District of Meerut.

The seeds of spiritualism were deeply rooted in him from the very beginning. At first, he was not clear about the meaning of his strange experience. He met a number of holy persons and practiced yoga. He devoted himself to deep study of Indian classics and scriptures. His life was very simple and truthful. Naturally the job as a legal practitioner did not suit him well.

There was a judge named Mehra in Ghaziabad. Shri Yogananda Maharaj was his Guru. Learning of this, Munilal wrote a letter to Shri Yoganandaji and very soon afterward received a favorable reply. His wife had expired already and his son and daughter were both married. He was thus free from the burden of his family. All these factors soon led him to decide to renounce the world in search of enlightenment. This decision took him on a path straight to Rishikesh.

Munilal met Shri Yoganandaji in the Swargashram at Rishikesh and received Shaktipat initiation from him. This was in the year 1933. Afterwards he traveled to many religious places around Badrinath and Kedarnath. In 1939, Munilal expressed a desire for initiation into the system of Sanyas, and Yoganandaji directed him to Swami Shankar Purushottan Tirth Maharaj in Benaras. Swami Shankar Pururushottam Tirtha initiated Munilal into the system of Sanyas in the Mohan Ashram of Haridwar near the bank of the holy river Ganges. His name became Swami Vishnu Tirth Maharaj after the initiation. As per the direction of Shri Yoganandaji, Swami Vishnu Tirth Maharaj proceeded toward Indore and finally settled in Dewas where he laid the foundation of Narayan Kuti Sanyas Ashram.

Swami Vishnu Tirth Maharaj initiated many spiritual aspirants into the system of Shaktipat and wrote a number of books including Sadhana Sanket, Shaktipat, Adhyatma Vikas, Atma Prabodh, Prana Tattva, Upanishadvani, Geetatatwamrit, Shiva Sutra Prabodhini, and a commentary on Saundrya Lahiri and Prityabhigyahridyam . He wrote one memorable book in English entitled Devatma Shakti This book is an indepth study of the Divine Power (Devatma Shakti) and the science of Shaktipat. This work is based on traditions recorded in ancient scriptures supplemented by direct experiences of divine revelation. This book is considered a classic in the field of Shaktipat and the awakening of

internal consciousness.

Swami Vishnu Tirth Maharaj had a profound love for the Ganges River and he spent around two months a year near the river in Rishikesh. His disciples soon carried out the construction of a center in Rishikesh in 1965 which came to be known as Yoga Shri Pith. Swami Vishnu Tirth Maharaja occupies a prominent place in the galaxy of Shaktipat Gurus. He was highly educated and had a sharp and brilliant mind. He left his mortal body in 1969 dissolving into the Absolute. The authors grant the right to copy and distribute this file, provided it remains unmodified and original authorship and copyright is retained.The author retains both the right and intention to modify and extend this document.

Swami Shivom Tirth Ji Maharaj

Shri Swami Shivom Tirth Maharaj was the favorite disciple of Swami Vishnu Tirth Maharaj. The field of activity of Shri Swami Vishnu Tirth Maharaj was considerably wide and he set a number of milestones in the expansion of the movement of the Shaktipat system. His successor Shri Swami Shivom Tirth Maharaj, the present Guru Maharaj of Ashrams in India and the USA, has however gone beyond this horizon after solidifying the work of his revered Guru. Swami Shivom Tirth Maharaj was originally named Om Prakash when he was a householder before joining Shri Swami Vishnu Tirthji Maharaj. He was born in 1924 in the village of Gujrat in Punjabi into a respectable family. He had a deep interest in religion and a strong liking for spiritualism from the very beginning. He studied for his undergraduate degree in Lahore. Afterwards he started leading a simple but highly ideal life.

Om Prakash and his family were duly affected by the partition of the country which consequently compelled him to leave Lahore along with his family. He took a job in Punjab, but soon left and devoted himself to higher objectives and began searching for a competent teacher. After coming to know about the spiritual attainments of Shri Swami Vishnu Tirthji Maharaj, he sought his permission to join him. On receiving Swamiji's consent, Shri Om Prakash bid farewell to his family and was thereafter called Brahmachari Shivom Prakash following his initiation in 1959.

Shri Shivom Prakash, while attaining considerable spiritual elevation in the company of his Guru, dedicated himself completely to the maintenance and improvement of the newly established centers at Dewas and Rishikesh. His unmatched dedication and total surrender to his Guru was a model for others. His steady silent devotion can be well compared with Eklavya, the unrecognized disciple of Dronacharya, who once happened to beat the great warrior Arjuna but ultimately sacrificed his right thumb when demanded by his Guru, Drona. What we see today at the Narayan Kuti Sanyas Ashram in Dewas is the result of the incessant labor of Brahmachari Shivom Prakash. He was concurrently undertaking a deep study of all the important Hindu classics and scriptures. Swami Vishnu Tirthji was very much impressed by the selfless surrender of Shri Shivom Prakash. He arranged for the Brahmachari to in be in the company of many spiritual personalities and took him around to many important religious centers. He received initiation into the order of renunciation (Sanyas), in 1963 from Shri Swami Narayan Tirth Maharaj (Kashi), and was given the new name of Swami Shivom Tirth. Shri Swami Vishnu Tirthji Maharaj afterwards authorized Swami Shivom Tirth to succeed him and propagate the system of Shaktipat for the welfare of all people. Since then, Swami Shivom Tirth has accomplished the task of kindling the fire of knowledge in different countries of the world, all of which Swami Gangadhar Tirthji had predicted.

Swamiji is all loving and embracing. His charming and dignified personality attracts people from every walk of life and almost captivates them by the magnetism of his personality. He holds among his following Hindus, Muslim, Sikhs, Christians, Jews, Chinese, and Japanese. The system of Shaktipat has already gained ground in Europe and America. Swamiji has also undertaken foreign trips whenever he has felt his need abroad.

The special trait of Swamiji's character is that each and every follower believes that he is the one most liked by Swamiji. This is for no other reason except that Swamiji is constantly showering universal grace and he has a natural affection and sympathy for those in need. His knowledge is unfathomable and humility touching. He is extremely simple and yet at times remarkably witty. The following are some of his important works in English:

A Guide to Shaktipat

This book is written in a question and answer format, and covers many of the commony asked questions concerning Shaktipat, Pantanjali's Yoga Darshan, methods of awakening the Kundalini power and meditation. This book also contains an introduction to the tradition of Shaktipat. Although the system of

Shaktipat is very old, the system witnessed a revival during the late nineteenth century through Swami Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj. The history of the transmission of Shakti from Swami Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj through each successive guru in this notable line up to the present time is reviewed.

Jnana Kiran (Rays of Ancient Wisdom)

Selected lectures by Swami Shivom Tirth on Shaktipat, Karma Yoga, the mantra, and meditation. Sadhan Path: A Guide to Meditation, by Swami Shivom Tirth Maharaj. This newly published book is a rich source of information on meditation. First published in 1961, the Hindi version of this book was widely received. Now in English for the first time, this book deals with requirements for those entering the path of meditation, necessary mental preparations, the necessity of finding a qualified guru, and meditation and the experience of divine ecstasy.

Shivom Vani: The Songs of Shivom Also new, this is the first English translation of the beautiful poems of Swami Shivom Tirth Maharaj. These poems have been set to music in India by musicians of national reputation. These poems have been described as moving, haunting, and inspiring, and are considered by many to be the author's finest work. This work represents not only the great wisdom of a true spiritual master, but also a significant work of creative art in metaphysical poetry.

Swami Shivom Tirth's work is further continued by his disciples.

The Path of Siddha MahayogaBy: Kurt Keutzer and Narayan Prakash 1995

There are numerous ways to awaken Kundalini but generally these approaches may divided into two groups. In the first group are paths such as Mantra Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Laya Yoga or Raja Yoga. In these paths the Kundalini is awakened through the effort of the individual. In the second group is the path that is variously called Sahaja Yoga, Kundalini Yoga or Siddha Mahayoga. In this path the Kundalini is spontaneously awakened by the grace of the Siddha guru in a process that is called Shaktipat. This path is called Siddha Mahayoga because the processes of Mantra Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Laya Yoga and Raja Yoga all take place spontaneously after being initiated through the grace of a Siddha. This

path of Siddha Yoga can be briefly described as follows: The Siddha Guru conveys Shaktipat initiation to the disciple by means of touch, word or intention. Upon initiation the various practices of Mantra Yoga and Hatha Yoga occur spontaneously due to the activation of Kundalini. After some time the mind becomes concentrated the prana becomes steady, and with this Laya Yoga is said to be accomplished. Finally, through the steadiness of prana the union of the individual soul with the supreme Self is achieved and the goal of Raja Yoga is accomplished. As Swami Narayan Tirth said:Mantra, Hatha, Laya and Raja Yogas are not separate from one another. They are merely the divisions of categories of a single yoga. Through practicing these four in their respective order and attaining competency is called Mahayoga. Knowledge will not be attained by depending on only one of the four, and only by attending wholly to all four will natural yoga, that is the union of the individual soul with the supreme Self, be perfected.The path of Siddha Mahayoga is not a modern invention but in fact it has a history of at least one thousand years. References to initiation through Shaktipat can be found in classical works such as the Yoga Vashishta, Shiva Purana, the Kularnava Tantra and in the works of the great scholar and yogi, Abhinavagupta. In many works the role of the guru is emphasized but in no work is it better epitomized than in the Shiva Sutras which states in Chapter 2, Verse 6: gururupayahIn translation, this verse states that: "The guru is the means (to liberation)."If one is intrigued by the promise of the path of Siddha Mahayoga it is natural to seek out a teacher who can offer Shaktipat initiation. Traditional sources on the path of Siddha Mahayoga encourage a careful review of the prospective disciple by the Siddha Guru as well as a review of the qualities of the Guru by the disciple. The qualities of a Guru are described in classical works of the path of Siddha Mahayoga and the Thirteenth Chapter of the Kularnava Tantra gives an extensive list of the qualities. First and foremost a Guru is expected to have a high degree of self-realization. Secondly a Guru is expected to have the knowledge and the capacity for conveying (Shaktipat) initiation. Thirdly the Guru is expected to have a knowledge of the aspects of the path. Finally a Guru's behavior is expected to reflect his state of realization.Even the literature of one thousand years ago discuss the difficulty of finding a Guru who embodies all these characteristics and in the selection of a guru the classical works are quite pragmatic. They encourage a critical attitude in the beginning and only after the Guru has met one's criteria does

one take initiation from him. From this point onwards they encourage unwavering devotion to the Guru. Unfortunately these days many students choose the opposite approach. They quickly adopt a devoted attitude toward a teacher and take initiation but over time some students become more and more critical of the teacher. This approach is generally ill-advised and is especially disastrous in the path of Siddha Mahayoga. Once one's Kundalini is awakened through Guru's grace a variety of experiences may occur, some of these potentially terrifying. At these times a total confidence in the Siddha Guru is absolutely necessary to calm the anxiety. If, on the other hand, at these moments one has residual doubts regarding the Guru then one's anxiety and discomfort can become even more amplified. The literature of Siddha Yoga does acknowledge that a student may progress from one teacher to another but in doing so the student should never doubt or criticize prior teachers.

Guru Purnima message"Om Shri Parmatmne Namah"

"Nittyam shuddh nirabhasam nirakaram niranjanam

Nittyabodh chidanandam Gurubrahma namamyaham."

(I bow to the Gurubrahma who is illusion-free,

unimaginable, formless, untintable absolute

knowledge and universal consciousness.)

My dear aspirants,

Today you all have gathered here to celebrate Guru-Poornima. This Guru-Pooja is celebrated every year on the full moon day of Indian month Asaadha. In India this celebration has already been observed on 5th of July. Here it is being celebrated today on 8th of July 2001 for the reasons of holiday (weekend) convenience. Maharishi Vyas, son of Parashar and Satyavati, wrote interpretations on Vedas, Upnishadas, Poorva and Uttar Mimansa Vedanta-Darshan (Philosophy), Mahabharat, Bhagwat Puranas and many other spiritual, philosophical and holy books which are unfathomable, everlasting and perpetual treasure of knowledge is guiding us like light-tower in every field of life.

To acknowledge our indebtedness, to pay respects and in his remembrance, "Vyas-Pooja" was founded which is commonly called "Guru-Poornima” or "Guru-Poojan-Parva" now a days. In the learning and pursuit of the divine science of

spirituality the importance of a Guru is firmly accepted by all. Therefore, this "Guru-Poojan-Parva" is very special and extremely important for spiritual disciples.

Parabrahma Parmatma (absolute universal consciousness) is infinite, omnipresent, omnipotent, soul of all and sole basis of this entire creation. Therefore, the means of reaching (experiencing) Him are also everywhere at all times and are innumerous. Although, everyone praises and preaches that path only which was suitable and successful for him, even then this very special path of Kundalini Awakening by Shaktipat initiation is unique. This is also called "Sidha-Yoga" and "Sahaj-Yoga". The uniqueness of this yoga lies in the fact that as soon as the Shakti is awakened by vision, speech, touch or resolve of an accomplished and mighty Guru, a capable and deserving disciple instantly feels such wonderful, astonishing, unworldly and supernatural divine experiences. To come to this level of spiritual accomplishment often requires years and even births if any other method is followed. Some rare blessed aspirants experience such things even without the grace of a Guru. This happens because of their Sadhna (practice of spirituality) performed in his previous life or birth. The effects and results of Sadhna never vanish like other worldly possessions at the time of death but accumulate over births and carried forward undiminished till the supreme goal of Moksha (liberation from the vicious cycle of birth and death) is fulfilled. The real and eventual result of Shakti-awakening is essentially realization of the Supreme soul (Moksha i.e. liberation from birth and death)

On this pious occasion of Guru-Poornima, it is essential that we reflect upon and carefully evaluate the progress we have made since our initiation in Kundalini-Sidha-Yoga towards attaining our supreme goal of realization of Parabraham Parmatma. Though, it is a matter of one's deep self- inspection and soul searching, it is heard and learnt that in most cases our progress is very meager or nil even after so many years of initiation in Shaktipat. Why is it so? It is imperative for Moksha seekers to search and eliminate its causes. In my opinion the ignorance about this Sadhna, related duties and knowledge of the true form of a Sri Guru are the root causes of lack of progress in this field. We neither understand this Sadhna well nor we are duty bound to it, nor we recognize Sri SatGuru. Let us think over these a little.

After awakening of Shakti (Kundalini) through initiation, some fortunate practicing aspirants experience a multitude of supernatural physical and mental actions and divine lights. All these exhilarating, blissful and

ecstatic experiences are mere views coming in Sadhana and are temporary, transient, changeable and hence false. These achievements are temporary and variable. They should, therefore, be regarded as false. Even then often Sadhaks consider these to be great achievements and the goal of Sadhna and wander about in illusion and self-gratification. It is, therefore, important to understand that one should observe these pleasant experiences of Shakti Awakening in a detached manner and focus upon the resulting purification of inner-self because Shakti Awakening is meant for the purification of one’s inner-self only. Be mindful that realization of Parmatma is possible in a purified inner-self only. Self-realization (Moksha) is totally impossible even in thousands of birth with inner-self packed with ego, desires, anger, greed, illusion, fear and other passions

It is foremost duty of a Sadhak to stay committed to his practice in a relentless manner. There is no room for lethargy in this intellectual endeavor. Frequently, aspirants do not practice Sadhna after initiation under the pretext of "lack of time". To initiate such unenthusiastic and inactive people is akin to pouring butter on cold ashes and therefore, misuse of Shakti. This Sadhana can be started at any time and anywhere just by focussing your thoughts on Shakti. If it becomes totally impossible to practice it regularly, it can be done while eating, drinking, walking or when you perform routine chores not involving and engaging you intellectually. As appropriate, you can control your physical movements to suit vicinities and let your inner-self immerse in Sadhana. The lack of time pretext is mere is self-deception. Greatest of irony is that we get plenty of time for the pettiest of activities like light entertainment, useless conversations, gossips and amusements but have no time for this highest and the sole cause of our human birth.

There is common misunderstanding about "Sri Guru". In this astral body both mortal Jeevatma (bound soul) and Parmatma (universal soul) reside together like twins. Sadhna is utilized to effect complete change over and merger of bound soul into universal soul (consciousness). As much as one has merged his bound sole into absolute consciousness (soul) by Sadhna so much he is a superior Guru. Guru of all Gurus, this Parmatma residing in the human Guru body bestows His bliss on the devotee disciple while also pervading (existing) in the universe as seer absolute. How can one who himself is a mere captive in the astral body and subject to the eventuality of birth and death liberate somebody else. As long as the disciple does not submerge the physical form of Guru (name, bodily appearance) and establishes and visualizes in him the absolute conscious Atman, and concentrates on this aspect his worship of Guru

will not be successful because holy words state "Atman is free from Guru, Disciple disparity (duality)". The all above said only to means that a Moksh-seeker disciple while worshipping Guru-body with great feelings of devotion should concentrate on the "Shivatma" in him and not on his human body captive in name and form.

Having gained access to such a divine tool as Sidh-Yoga, if we do not realize "Parmatma" and rid ourselves from the cycle of birth and death, who will be the more wretched and destitute than us?

According to the prevailing traditions and norms founders, and Ashram heads reserve the right to preach and deliver appropriate message to their disciples and followers. Even then to honor the request of affectionate Ashram officials, I have presented my views and suggestions to you. I thank you and pray that Parmatma enlighten us with His divinity and let His blissful divine existence transcend upon us and be envisioned to eliminate our dreads of this world. ITI OM

Devendra Vigyani

Sri Devendra ji Vigyani is Disciple of Sri Yogendra Vigyani (Yogananda) ji Maharaj and Spiritual brother of Swami Vishnu Tirth ji Maharaj.

Contact info:

In USA:

8 Coury Rd. Hills Borough, NJ 08844 Phone 908-369-1571 In India:

61-Jeewanimai RoadRishikesh 249201Uttaranchal, INDIAPhone 91-135-430949e-mail: [email protected]

Swami Shivom Tirth Ji's wordTalk with Dr. V.S. Sharma and Mr. Mohan Khunteta

Contents of Swami Shivom Tirth Ji ’s talk with Dr. V.S. Sharma and Mr. Mohan Khunteta when they visited our beloved Satguru Swami Shivom Tirth Maharaj in Indore (India) in August 2001

This talk has been transcribed and translated verbatim from the film that was shot while Dr. Sharma and Mr. Mohanbhai Khunteta talked to Guruji. The talk starts and ends abruptly because it is similar to the film. This talk is presented in the first person and is a literal translation of the conversation. Words in parenthesis, sometimes repeated are the Hindi words used by Guruji in this conversation.

Guruji – “For most practical purposes I do not have any expenses. Food for one person is not a big expense but for medication there is definitely some expense. I have to take medicine and for that Rs. 100 to 200 is spent.”

“I do not go anywhere now. In one way my workload has lightened considerably. As far as keeping busy during the day is concerned, I am keeping a lot busier than before. In the past I had to talk to this person or that person, I had to go places and meet people. If somebody came to me then I had to talk to that person. Now a days I am writing all day, so I keep myself busy with writing. And to be able to write my mind has to be in that state all the time. All day my mind is in the same state and sometimes I take a walk outside here and there. These days, to write continuously is become a little difficult for me. So I write for sometime and then I come outside – I walk for 5 to 10 minutes here and there in the garden and then I go back in and start writing. The other thing is one has to have a thought then only can one write. Let us assume one writes a paragraph and then your thoughts stop. And then you walk a little here and there and while walking thoughts keep flowing in your mind and then something occurs to you so you come back in and start writing again.”

“The book (3-part) Hridaya Manthan that I have written, while writing it the most benefit that I received was that it seemed like Guru Maharaj at every moment was sitting next to me. All of Guru Maharajji’s spiritual instructions, expositions, all of that, it seemed as though he was sitting next to me

helping me to write it all. And then I wrote a book called Punarudaya, which has not yet been printed. While writing Punarudaya Swami Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj, Swami Narayan Tirth Dev Maharaj, and my Maharaj and me – there are four characters in that book. I was the writer, and in whatever discourses I had with Maharajji I was the listener. So Maharaj would be in front of me telling me about Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj, telling me about Narayan Tirth Dev Maharaj, so it was as though those three saints were sitting next to me. This benefited me in a very big and deep way. Maharajji’s laughing, talking, his becoming serious, his walking – all of this seemed as though it was happening in front of my very eyes. So I benefited a lot from him since I felt his presence all the time.”

“The book that I am writing now, in this book also Guru Maharaj is talking to me. In the book, Punarudaya, in early 1965 in the beginning of the month of January we had gone to stay in Jagannath Puri. While we were there – the subject in this book is about that. There was a hill where Maharajji used to go for a walk and in front of the temple of the Goddess (Mata’s mandir) we used to sit there for a while. And whatever talks took place there those are the subjects of this book. While writing even this book, Maharajji always remains in front of me. To write this book is a little difficult and it is on a philosophical note as well. So whatever Maharaj told me all of that is in front of me, I write in that light. That is the only basis that I am writing on. All of these books that I have written, for example, I wrote Chittalila. In Chittalila the basis of the book was Guru Maharajji's verses (sutras) on shaktipath. Then also Guru Maharaj would always be in front of me. If I count the books - three and one more four , and one more five, and one more six, these six books were all with Guru Maharaj, and I felt Guru Maharajji's presence every moment.

“What happens is when these people get too involved with the ashram then their goal diverts from internal to the external happenings. When that happens they are unable to see their Guru Maharaj outside, in other words, they disconnect themselves from their guru. The result of that is they get involved in talking ill about people, gossiping, pulling others legs, doing this and doing that – they get involved with all this. And however much your goal is outward towards the world to that extent you disconnect yourself from within and your contact with the guru element (guru tattva) breaks. Now a days, for me when any time any event or happening occurs then my goal or object of focus is diverted outside. For example, something has happened in the New York ashram so internally a slight unsteadiness has crept in. I have told you all in the past

when this happens then it disturbs my writing. To be able to write one needs a peaceful and focused mind. And because of all these happenings my mind is experiencing a slightly unsteady state and as a result of that I find it difficult to write. So why do I write? I write for you all. What ever I am writing I know it all that is why I am able to write. So by disturbing my mind you all are harming yourselves. What I can write and impart to you all I will not be able to do so. If nothing like this happens and the mind does not go here and there and get disturbed then I keep writing, I am always in that state, I have the presence of Guru Maharaj. The way Guru Maharaj laughed, the way he reprimanded, his seriousness, then sometimes he is walking, sometimes he is talking with someone I can see all this even now happening in front of my eyes. I feel as though I have lost myself completely. While writing I am not at all aware that I am writing and Maharajji is there in person in front of me while I am writing. So this is happening to me continuously now. However much your mind will be in the presence of your guru – it is not necessary that the guru has to be physically present before you. The people who consider the guru’s physical body as the true guru and keep running after him whether they feel his presence or do not feel his presence I cannot say. But who is always with the guru in his mind receives the continuous benefit of his guru’s presence.”

“So no one should feel that Guru Maharaj does not meet us or Guru Maharaj has gone into seclusion. I say that even though Guru Maharaj (Swami Vishnu Tirthji Maharaj) has gone he is with us, close to us. It has been 32 years since Guru Maharaj went he had gone in 1969 so 32 years have passed. Even after 32 years he is in front of us – in the same way as before.”

Dr. Sharma – “But Maharaj the state of your mind and the state of our mind is very different. Our state of mind is at the present time in the human state (jeevatma bhav–bound with the state of the individual soul) and our understanding is at that level. Most of the people meditate on the guru element (guru tattva) and want to be in the presence of the guru, but our state is different, your state is different. As the level of our sadhan will keep getting higher it will be easier but till then to be at the level in which you are is difficult.”

Guruji - “Dr. Sahib, what you have just said is extremely correct. Every single disciple (sadhak) has his or her own mental level (chitta sthithi). But this mental level will get higher only by doing meditation (sadhana). So here there are two to three issues. In Yogdarshan there is a sutra that says:

Deergkaal Nirantan Satkaal Sevdaan. There are three things mentioned. The first is deergkaal (prolonged time) meaning we should be prepared to do meditation (sadhan) for a very long period of time. You might get enlightenment tomorrow but in your mind you are prepared to do meditation (sadhan) for a long period of time. The second word is nirantar (continuous/uninterrupted) meaning you do your meditation (sadhan) today, tomorrow, the day after and the day after that; you do your meditation (sadhan) every day. Then again, you do meditation (sadhan) in the early morning hours and the rest of the hours in the day are spent in doing work here and there, in love and hatred, in gossiping about others. So the rest of the day your connection with your guru gets cut. So nirantar (continuous) means that the meditation (sadhan) you do is no doubt meditation (sadhan) but your behavior, how you conduct your day, your actions for the rest of the day should be such that it is also meditation (sadhan). Then only nirantar (continuity) will come. And the third thing mentioned is satkaal sevdaan (time with virtue, offering service) meaning with reverence (shridhapoorvak). Reverences (shridha) are of three kinds. The first reverence (shridha) is for your ishta devta (reverence towards the god you love). The other reverence (shridha) is for your meditation (sadhan) and the third reverence (shridha) is for the Guru who has given you that meditation (sadhan) – you have reverence (shridha) for him. So these three reverences (shridhas) should be there, meditation (sadhana) should be continuous (nirantar) and should be for a long period of time (deergkaal). Then only, slowly, slowly the state of the mind (chitta) becomes introverted. So when one says that every disciple (sadhak) has his own mental level (chitta sthithi) – then my reply to that is if you do not practice what I have just said then how will your mental level (chitta sthithi) get higher.”

“Most of the disciples (sadhaks) are unable to maintain continuity (nirantartaa) in their meditation (sadhan). The subject of meditation (sadhan) – continuous meditation (nirantartaa) is not there in any disciple (sadhak). Even if there are some that are regular in doing their meditation (sadhan) in the morning – even then most of the disciples are irregular. Some days meditation was done some days it was not done. Today I have to go here or I have to go there – you are in a hurry to go and the time that was set aside for meditation (sadhan) is lost in doing other things. So one should set aside such a time to do meditation that one does not have to go anywhere and nor does anyone else come to meet you and you can be alone in solitude and so you can meditate. If you want you can wake up early and do your meditation

(sadhan). That way you should keep your meditation (sadhan) time before 5AM. The best time actually for your meditation (sadhan) is between 2AM to 5AM.”

“The other important thing is even if for some reason you are unable to do meditation one day then all day the day you did not do meditation you should perform all your actions and conduct your day as though you were doing meditation. So that day even though you could not do your internal meditation (aantarik sadhan) your outward meditation (baahiya sadhan) is continuing. And the other thing is even though your meditation was broken that day it should not be broken the next day. If you do not have to go anywhere, nor meet anyone and if you do not have to do anything and yet you keep sleeping thinking oh, the meditation was broken yesterday now I will start from tomorrow. The reason why your meditation got broken once that reason has been removed your meditation should continue the same way from the next day. Then only slowly, slowly the divine energy’s working (shakti’s kriyasheelta), the energy’s grace (kripasheelta) and the purity of the mind will keep increasing gradually. You can jump and go outside but for you to jump the ladder of meditation (sadhana) and reach the top is very difficult. You have to slowly, slowly, in a peaceful way with patience very carefully climb one rung at a time.”

“Now, this very question I had asked Guru Maharajji. How did your mind (chitta) state become like that? Or Swami Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj, how did he win over reincarnation and how was he always immersed in meditation? How did his state of his mind (chitta) become like that? So Guru Maharajji answered saying, “look, when the sun rises take a look at the risen sun. Before the sun rose see and think of all the states it has been through. How the sun has conquered the darkness and gone through all the stages. And then after that just before the sun rises even the sky is covered with the pink tinge and only after that the sun rises. So it’s not that the sun rises all at once without going through all those stages. Now if Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj was in this state (stithi) who knows since how many lives Gangadhar Tirth Maharaj was engrossed in this. What all he must have tolerated? How many insults he must have borne and how difficult it must have been. How many times he must have fallen and then got up and then only he reached this state. It’s not like this is some food and you pick up a morsel and put it in your mouth. Meditation (sadhan) is not like that.”

Mohanbhai - “Maharaj please accept all the disciples’ revered salutation (pranam) that reside in America. Some of them also sent me an email conveying their revered salutation (pranam) to you.”

Guruji - “I have received the revered salutation (pranam) from all the disciples of America and I send my blessing to all of them. And you must tell them all that if I am sitting so far away here from them– and then if per chance you’ll visit this place and I refrain from meeting you, this does not mean that you are far from my mind. This is not at all the meaning of this. Every day when I sit to meditate my routine of actions are such: first and foremost I wish well for those people who count themselves as my opponents. They count themselves as my enemies, they do my tika (mark made on the forehead with respect), but it is my duty that I wish them well. May god give them good intelligence (sadbuddhi), may god make them tread on the right path. So first and foremost I do this, I do not have any opponents, even then if some people are there who consider themselves as my enemies then I wish their welfare and prosperity and I pray for them. After that I pray to God for those disciples (sadhaks) who even after being initiated do not do their meditation. They have taken initiation (diksha) but they do not do their meditation (sadhan). Such people may be in India or in America or anywhere else. I wish them well and pray to God that he bring them on this path, I pray for their welfare and prosperity and may god protect them. And after that, I then pray for all the other disciples that are left and I wish for their welfare and prosperity.”

“So in my meditation (dhyan) – if there are any opponents then sometimes anyone of them suddenly pops up in my meditation (dhyan). Then there are those that do not do meditation (sadhan) even from them any one of them can pop up in my mind while in meditation (sadhan). Then there are those that do their meditation and I also wish their prosperity and welfare and any one of these also pop up in mind while I am in meditation (dhyan). And lastly, I wish for the welfare of the whole world. So this is my usual routine. Physically however far I am from the disciples living in America I am as far from the disciples living in Indore and as far from the disciples living in Dewas. But mentally however close I am to the disciples in Indore and Dewas, much more than that I am mentally close to the disciples in America. So the meaning of this is that if I do not meet a disciple who comes to visit me from America I am not close to them. The other thing is, that the guru should always physically be in front of you – that is not necessary. Today my body is here, tomorrow my body will not be here so will that mean that your guru has left you and gone? No it is not this way. My Guru Maharaj used to give an example. In Maharashtra there was a Swami Ramdas. So one day the disciples asked him “Swamiji who is your very best disciple?” Swamiji replied, “My very best

disciple is Uttam.” Everyone questioningly started looking at one another saying that no one amongst us is Uttam. We have never met him never seen him so they asked Guru Maharaj who is this Uttam? Swamiji started saying “Oh! He is my disciple”. The disciples asked, “so now a days he does not come to meet you?” Swamiji replied, “No, it’s now twenty to twenty five years since I have met him.” They asked “at least you must be receiving his letters?” Swamiji said, “no I don’t receive anything – he does not write letters.” The disciples started saying, this is extremely absurd. A man has not met his guru for 20 to 25 years and he has not thought about his guru, he should come and see him (do darshan). Nor have you ever gone to meet him and then you say that this disciple of yours is your very best disciple? We cannot understand this. So Guru Maharaj replied, “he became my disciple and after that I gave him one job to do and he has been doing that job ever since – that is his service for the guru (guru seva). And even now he is fully absorbed in doing that job. While you all are with me. Every day something or the other happens and I give you this work or that work. You all do not get totally absorbed in what work I give you like Uttam gets involved. So all the time he is connected to me and even though you all are with me physically you are not connected to me so sincerely.”

Mohanbhai - “So Maharaj, for a guru there is no importance of country (desh) or time (kaal)?”

Guruji – “Your question is such that to answer that it is to be understood first who do you consider your guru. If you think that the guru is your guru’s body then there is a question of desh meaning country and kaal meaning time. But if you consider the guru element as your guru then the guru is beyond time and place. Now it is up to you what you mean by your guru.”

“When I used to go to America I never used to be in India. When I used to go to America, I used to be only in America. I never used to be in India. And when I would come to India then I never used to be in America. So time and place is actually related to the body. Now my body is not going to America so all the people there are saying you have gone far away from us. Now there is a question of distance, and there is a question of the country or place and at the present time you are not coming to us so there is also the question of time. But the guru element (gurutattva) because it is omnipresent it is out of the limits of place and time.”

Mohanbhai - “I have one more question Maharajji. For the disciples who are

weak or who do not have a very good understanding or are not that intelligent if you could grace them Maharajji so that in six months to year if they wanted to see (darshan) the guru then can some way be arranged Maharajji?”

Guruji - “This is to be thought upon a little. The crux of the matter is that firstly what is it that you all wish. What is it that all the disciples wish? And secondly, what is it that the guru wishes. Everyone’s mind (chitta) is on a certain level and based on that level one wishes for something. And then there is your guru and he also wishes something. So which wish is more important, the wish of your guru or the wish of the disciple. If you blend your wish with the wish of the guru then your sadhan will go to a higher level. But if you consider your wish to be stronger and give it more importance and if you neglect your guru’s wish then your meditation (sadhan) comes to a halt.”

Mohanbhai - “But Maharajji, if a disciple does not have a good understanding or intelligence how can he understand this?”

Guruji - “If the understanding and intelligence is not there that is exactly what I am trying to make them understand. I am explaining so that one can understand if anyone does not have this understanding. The wish that the guru has – you have to merge your wish with the guru’s wish then your sadhan will go on a higher level, it will keep going higher. If I told you to do something you will think oh! I have no mind to do this but because Guru Maharaj has told me to do it I am sure it is for my benefit. Then you have to leave your ego out of that and with full reverence toward your guru you should do what he told you to do. This is the first thing. And the second thing is I said something and in reply you say Oh! Guru Maharaj is like this or like that, he does this and he does that, what does he know. So you have actually neglected your Guru Maharajji’s wish. And then you did only that what your mind was telling you to do. So the meaning of this is that your level as a disciple (sadhak) drops or the mental state (chitta sthithi) goes down.”

“The subject of spirituality is very subtle. Your intelligence (buddhi) can work extremely well in business – in the world, here and there, for this and that but from the point of spirituality if a disciple’s intelligence (sadhak’s buddhi) is zero, then the intelligence that is in the world or business – the sharpness does not come in use. Understand this that all the people who exist in this world no one – not a single one considers himself a fool. Now you have a question that if someone’s intelligence (buddhi) is weak – but I say that no

one considers his intelligence (buddhi) weak. Everyone thinks he is very intelligent. Talk to anyone – he will talk as though no one is as intelligent then him. So this means that the intelligence is there but it is worldly intelligence and so he cannot understand the subject of spirituality. In spirituality their intelligence is zero. So the intelligence and the sharpness towards business or the world does not come in use there.”

“The intelligence is there but it is going towards the world. Now it is towards the world and it is moving at a very fast pace towards the world. And the opposite of that is that intelligence is going inwards and it is going inwards at a very fast pace, or it is going at a very slow pace. So one way it is going towards the world and the other is the opposite way, it is going inwards. If the intelligence is going towards the world no matter how intelligent he is – may be in art, may be in business, in this or that, but it is only towards the world. So such a man’s intelligence from the point of view of spirituality is weak. For these people who have a weak spiritual intelligence (buddhi) – for them there are scriptures (shashtras), gathering with people to discuss or sing god’s praise (satsang), all the methods for meditation (sadhan). All the methods (vidhans) our sages (rishis) put in place so that the weak intelligence gradually becomes introverted and slowly, slowly the weakness will come to an end.”

Mohanbhai - “Now Maharajji, I have one more question. First there is Guru tattva, the Guru element, which is the God element….”

Guruji - “You can call it divine energy element (shakti tattva) – give it any name you like.”

Mohanbhai - “That is right, you can call it the omnipresent, the supreme soul. So one is that state Maharajji. And this supreme being resides in the body of the Sat Guru – the Guru. So the Sat Guru, in other words the Guru sometimes is in the godly state (Shiv bhav) and sometimes the Guru is in the human state (jeeva bhav). Because the guru also has accumulated impressions (sanskars) or destiny (prarabdha) – that is why he has been born in this body….”

Guruji - “Yes, that is right. Till the body is there till then the destiny (prarabdha) is also there and the level of the mind (chitta sthithi) does not remain the same all the time.”

Mohanbhai - “So let us assume Maharajji, that the guru told his disciple

something while he was in the human state (jeeva bhav). And what he said was not appropriate and not worthy to be obeyed. So in this state what is the duty of the disciple? Please tell us the difference.”

Guruji - “The disciple has his state (bhav) and the Guru has his state (bhav). Let us assume that the disciple’s state (bhav) is that he considers the guru as god. So if the disciple believes that his guru is god then it is known best to the guru if he is in human state (jeeva bhav) or godly state (shiv bhav). The disciple will only be in his state (bhav) he will only be concerned with his state (bhav). The disciple believes that his guru is his god and his instructions are god’s instructions and then only with that feeling he fulfills his duty with utmost reverence. Then the disciple keeps going higher – if anyone has to go down it will be the guru. Because the state (bhav) that the disciple has is full of reverence – the feeling of total surrender is within his heart. The fact that the guru is going up and down being in godly state (shiv bhav) and/or human state (jeeva bhav) is none of his concern. For him he is full of reverence so he does not care in what state the guru is – for him his guru is his god always. So the disciple will keep going higher with this feeling and it does not matter what state (bhav) the guru is in – he will go up and down but the disciple will not, he will keep going higher.”

Mohanbhai - “But Guruji… to obey….”

Guruji - “Look. Look… this question of yours is a very cunning question. It is filled with cunningness. The cunningness is what? In any circumstance it should be proven that at any time the disciple could dispute the guru’s instructions. This only means one thing that your reverence is decreasing. Whether the guru is up or down – leave it to the guru – you keep your reverence and go higher and keep going higher and you will find your reverence will bear fruit and take you to even higher heights. The question that you have just asked is a question from a very doubtful mind. All these doubts can only be cleared by doing meditation (sadhana). These doubts can be rid of only from the inside – they cannot be rid of from the outside. From outside, till your mental state (chitta sthithi) does not become such and the accumulated impressions are not deleted till then none of these doubts will be cleared. That is why I am asking all the disciples to do their meditation (sadhana) every single day very regularly. When the time is for meditation (sadhana) – the early hours of morning you all keep sleeping. You have to put aside a time for meditation (sadhana) and then no matter what do sadhan at that time. Then after that it does not matter if all day you are in the influence (aavesh) of

the meditation (sadhana) or all day you have spontaneous actions while in meditation (kriyas) or you conduct all the day-to-day affairs in that influence (aavesh), do anything you like but do your meditation (sadhana). Decide a time and then fervently sit at that time to do meditation (sadhana).”

“For most disciples this is a very preliminary stage. So in the initial stages this is very necessary. Then when you progress – that all the time one is doing meditation (sadhan) is a very advanced stage. So for now ascertain a time for meditation (sadhan) and do nothing else but meditation (sadhan) at that time. Not that you keep sleeping at that time and then when you wake up you drink a cup of tea and forget all about meditation (sadhan).”

Mohanbhai - “What is the reason for fickle mindedness?”

Guruji - “There is only one reason – accumulated impressions (sanskars). Snatch away your mind from everything else. I am telling you all this for your benefit. Snatch away your mind from everything else and make an effort to put your mind in meditation (sadhan). Everything else can go to hell – people can come and go you keep doing your meditation (sadhan). Do meditation (sadhan) and if someone comes you can sing devotional songs or discuss Holy scriptures (satsang). You should spend more and more of your time as much as you can in meditation (sadhan). From all the disciples even if one disciple lifts himself up and goes higher in meditation (sadhan) then you can be rest assured that the ashram has been successful. If there are 1000 disciples and from them not even one became a disciple (sadhak) then everything is useless.

Translated by Mrs. Anju Pasari, San Jose (California) U.S.A.