Month: January 2024

AHYMSIN Thailand Retreat

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AHYMSIN Thailand Retreat (2)

AHYMSIN Thailand Retreat (9)

AHYMSIN Thailand Retreat (8)

AHYMSIN Thailand Retreat (4)

AHYMSIN Thailand Retreat (3)

AHYMSIN Thailand organised the Yoga and Meditation Retreat on “Aapo Deepo Bhava” at Sampran, Thailand from 8-11 December 2023.

By Little Student of Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition

“Aapo Deepo Bhava” means “Be a Light Unto Thyself”. This has been a message to people from all the great Gurus, past and present, in all traditions. They had/have worked so hard to create the real understanding of this profound message in the human hearts. Why? Because it is the common and only goal of all human beings who wish to find true and lasting happiness. We cannot find such happiness as long as we are trapped in the samsara (the cycle of suffering through unending rounds of birth and death). The light is our true nature and if we cannot find our true nature which resides in us, the exit from the suffering cycle is simply impossible.

Aapo Deepo Bhava is the theme for AHYMSIN’s sangha for 2023 and it finally made its way to Thailand.  Thai people were blessed with the presence of Swami Ritavan Bharati, our beloved spiritual guide, who was accompanied by two outstanding teachers, Shi Hong and Rabindra Sahu (who visited Thailand for the first time).

When Swami Rama first went to the west, his Master asked him to spread two key messages to the people there. The first message was “Do not live in fear” and the second message was “realize the reality within”.  When one realizes the reality within, fear naturally vanishes as the light (within) dispels the darkness of ignorance.

Swami Ritavan beautifully read Swami Veda Bharati’s “Light”, a poem that he composed after he experienced his own inner light.  Swami Ritavan explained that it might be a poem to a reader or a listener, but for Swami Veda it was the expression (in the best way he could) of the inner state he had attained in deep meditation. Swamiji used this poem as a tool to inspire people and his teachings flew smoothly from it.  Swamiji emphasized how important “building the strong foundation” for one’s own spiritual life was. A wise man builds a house on solid rock. When a heavy storm comes, the house stands firm on the solid foundation. A fool person builds a house on sand. When a heavy storm comes, it sweeps away a house with it and nothing is left. To become a wise man, one needs self-discipline and guidance from an authentic Guru.

Shi Hong is an expert in story telling (as always) and he used his skill effectively to captivate the attention of the participants. And he has countless stories from various traditions, all of them convey profound spiritual teachings for deep contemplation. One of the beautiful stories he shared with us reminded us of the highest truth; “nothing is permanent, good or bad”.  Thus, we need to learn to accept things as they are. To realize that everything that happens in our lives is the result of the actions we already committed in the past and we could not do anything about them. This realization will help us to accept things with neutral mind and convince us to choose our action wisely in the present moment so that what will happen in the future will pleasant and conducive to our progress towards the goal.

Rabindra led the practices of asana, pranayama, relaxation and meditation so effectively while also lovingly sharing with us his deep knowledges and personal experiences in his spiritual journey. One of the things he said that left the impression in the minds of many was “If you want to transform yourself, nothing on this earth has the power to stop you; If you do not want to transform yourself, nothing on this earth has the power to persuade you to do so”. That is a good reminder for all us that true responsibilities are on our shoulders. Indeed, “Be a Light unto Thyself”.  Swami Rama repeatedly said to his disciples and students that “You are an architect of your life. You create your own destiny”.  Let’s stop blaming the world and take responsibilities for your own happiness and suffering. The way to achieve this is to go deep within, to the place where deep silence resides and you will hear the voice from the Guru within.

This retreat was so special because of two other things. First, we had been honored with Wong Yoong Khiang’s presence. Yoong is a longstanding initiate/initiator within Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition, a disciple of both Swami Rama and Swami Veda.  He shared with us his beautiful experiences with Swami Rama and Swami Veda, which helped further inspire participants to seek within.  Second, this retreat looked like an international retreat as we had participants from so many countries, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, France, Switzerland and Thailand. Special thanks to Yuko Metsugi from Japan for joining our retreat and for her lovely services offered during Swamiji and Rabindra’s asana classes. Five people from China and one person from Thailand decided to take mantra initiations from Swamiji during the retreat.

I would like to thank you several people who made sincere and selfless contributions (in many forms, seva, financial and etc.,) to make this retreat another vehicle to spread the teachings of the lineage. These people did so without seeking any recognition and anything in return so I would not mention the names here. As per Swamiji, “secret is sacred”.  Last but not least, my gratitude goes to all the participants, without them and their contributions, there would not have been any retreat.

To this end, my great appreciation for Ms. Eakurairak and Ms. Ying of Bangkok Yoga School. They kindly organized a charity session for their students and members through which the teachings from Himalayan sages and Gurus have been passed on for the benefits of many. A few cried during the session with Swamiji and Rabindra as their hearts were touched by the universal love and compassion, which lifted the sadness they have been carrying from some losses in their lives off their hearts.

“May the ever generous Mother Night give us her stars
that burn like flames of souls in our bodies of clay.
May every darkness of human being
turn in light every night.
May She bestow upon us playful joys
of immortal kingdoms filled with light.”

– Swami Veda Bharati

There is a tradition that we have been carrying on for years at the Himalayan Yoga Institute in Florence: celebrating together the Winter Solstice and the Return to the Light.

The Festival of Light is a very ancient and magical festival, rich in symbolism: it’s a transition celebration from darkness to light, that recalls the importance of transformation and rebirth. The Winter Solstice is the shortest and darkest day of the year from which light, and its extension throughout the day, grows wider and wider: a time of preparation for a new season and the rebirth of nature itself.

The term ‘solstice’ derives from the Latin language ‘solstitium’: ‘sol’ sun and ‘sistere’ stop, ‘steady sun’: it is the instant the Sun ceases to move away from the Earth, as if it were steady. The sun stops descending versus the celestial equator, only to reverse its path and start giving more hours of light again. And at this time its path almost seems to proceed more slowly.

In the Catholic culture, the Winter Solstice also acquires a religious significance as it is the beginning of the Christmas festivities; moreover, all the traditions celebrate the Winter Solstice festivities with fires, lights and candles, for light is a rebirth symbol that purifies and transforms, a reminder of the continuous dance between opposites that are complementary and essential to life, just as Nature reminds us in each moment that every situation carries within itself the seed of its opposite.

Over the years, this moment of transition has become a time for all the Institute’s members to gather together and to celebrate the season of silence, light, love and hope; but also to express gratitude, to contemplate and to meditate, to honour and to let go everything that is no longer needed in our lives, in order to welcome the new through a small symbolic ritual: in a fire and light ceremony, each participant is invited to write, in a small piece of paper, what he/she would like to let go of the year coming to an end, to burn the paper and to take a well-wishing word, which will be the guiding word for the new year.

But besides representing a moment of joy and sharing together, the Festival of Light is for all of us an important moment, the conclusion of a fundraising whose proceeds will go to support the SRSG Ashram and Swami Veda’s projects in India. Every year, in the period leading up to the Festival of Light, until the evening of its celebration, the Himalayan Yoga Institute of Florence opens its doors to the “Dianella’s Market – Handmade to give a Hand”, an initiative deeply felt by our dear Dianella, for which she used to produce with her own hands handicrafts and creations. Our feeling, when Dianella left her body, was to keep alive this noble initiative, involving friends and members of the Institute in creating and donating small handicrafts made with the heart (hats, bags, scarves, lota, T-shirts, etc.).

This year, also our dear friend Victor joined us and brought some Lakshmi Elephants, a small thanks token hand-made by women of local villages in Odhissa, part of an educational and economic development project supported by Wolfgang Bishoff and Bhagaban Dev.

This is the spirit with which every year we celebrate the Winter Solstice and the Festival of Light, at the presence of visible and invisible Beings of Light, who silently show us the path and allow our hearts to meet in a space of Love and Joy.

In loving service,

Ilaria

Editor’s Note:

Ilaria Sarri is one of the center leaders of Himalayan Yoga Institute Italia – Centro Per La Salute Globale in Firenze (Florence), Italy. She is a long term initiate in the Tradition, and a TTP teacher and mentor since several years.