Author: Divya - Administrator

Shivaratri, 2021

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During this Shivaratri time, resolve to return to the light of life and love in your meditations.

Remember your Shiva-sankalpam, “Tan me mana shiva sankalpa astu”.

(That which is the absolute knowledge, that which is the reservoir of the mind-stuff;
That which is memory and steadfastness and sustenance;
That which is the light hidden within all beings;
That without which no action can be performed.
May that, my mind, be filled with beautiful, benevolent, beneficent, peaceful, Siva-like, divine thoughts, feelings, sentiments, emotions, resolves.)

They are all contained in the word ‘Shiva-sankalpam’.

Wherever there are Shiva temples, that Shiva there has a name. The ashram temple for Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama is named: Sadhakesvara, the Lord of the sadhakas – those who are aspiring to become as Shiva, those who are aspiring to know the truth of “Shivoham”. Within the walls resides “Sphatika-Jyotir-Linga” – ‘the linga of light’. The Temple and Crystal Lingam were given these names at the first consecration. As a meditation temple, here, a sadhaka performs their interior mental worship – manasa-puja. In this meditation, one dissolves all identification with name and form. Through pralaya, one withdraws their conscious identity with body, with senses, with sense objects, with memories of the experiences of sense objects, so as to become that very jyotir-linga as Shivo ’ham – I’m Shiva, jyotir aham – I am a being of light.

Everyone who perform a worship to Shiva says – Shivo ’ham – I Am Shiva. Then, if you are Shiva, who is the worshipper? Who is the worshiped? This mystery is unveiled only when one truly enters “within”. In this internal worship – manasa-puja, each external devolute is dissolved into its corresponding cause. As our consciousness dissolves the external forms and as awareness moves into subtler and subtler energies, all that remains is the causal body – linga-matra, and then alinga – just an amorphous form of light, an amorphous form of the presence of energies. That subtlest form of divine being is called the linga – just an indication of a mere presence – like a crystal lingam. That is why in our Shiva temple you will find the crystal-lingam. It has no head, face, senses, arms, legs – they have all been dissolved and absorbed into the linga-matra the ‘mere presence’ of light reflected in the crystal. Shivo ’ham – I’m Shiva, jyotir aham – I am a being of light. (redacted from Swami Veda).

Editor’s Note:

  • Swami Ritavan Bharati also shared the Shivaratri Manasa Puja, as guided by Swami Veda Bharati

 

Holiday Blessings

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Dear AHYMSIN Family,

Blessings of the Lineage to you all. As we are drawn together in this celebration of illumination let us bring the light of the hearts, our compassion, to all those who have experienced hardships, trauma, and misery.

Let the fruits of our meditations be offered: may their suffering be alleviated.
And as to yourselves say, Thy will be done and not mine.

Having thus unburdened yourself of all the claims of ego, remain a dweller of the heart-center, maintaining this awareness through breath and mantram.

I have thought about this extensively and tonight I’d like to share the two words that have come to mind: “resilience and silence”. And I call this resilience and silence returning to the single “I”. For when you drop the “I” of ego, from the “silence” of resilience, you find that you are in silence. In that single presence.

For all of us around the globe, this year has been truly a stress test of resilience and returning again and again to silence.

As we have removed the “I” of ego in resilience, we have become aware of our ability to change and flow with that change.

And as meditators, we have valued the quiet moments and have returned to silence, reminded of the fullness of re-silencing again and again throughout the day. This resilience and re-silence are two sides of the coin of personality and transformation.

Let our meditations be a pause in the constant push and go with the flow of your breath. Let your meditations be a practice resilience and return to the single “I” of silence in stillness, in the fullness of your being.

Om, Shanti, srb

A Thanksgiving Message

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Dear Initiates of the Tradition,
Dear Family Members,

OM

With a deep breath of fullness, exhaled as gratitude;
with mudra-hands filled with flower-petals of appreciation;
with dedicated action to serve, may we be enlightened with opportunities to relieve the suffering of others
through this immense generosity of the spirit – our true nature of “Purna” Wholeness and Completeness.

May your meditations reveal the way, the truth and the light.

Om, Purnam adah, purnam idam, purnat purna mudacyate,
purnasya purnam adaya, purnam eva vashisyate.
Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

Editor’s Note:

This message was originally sent through The Meditation Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Diwali Message – 2020

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Diwali Blessings of the Ancients:

“Jyotir, Jyotir, Jyotih, Idam Madhu, Idam Madhu Idam Madhu;

Light, Life, Love This is honey, this is sweet, so pleasant, so beautiful!”

May the Diwali Blessings of the Ancients of our Lineage remind us of this Light of Being, the Full Moon of Consciousness, the Inner Illumination of your Self.

They remind us of liberation – freedom from all darkness of ignorance,

Their message awakens us to kaivalya – Unique, Alone, where enlightenment – nirvana becomes the “blowing-out” of all attachment and dependence on externals and only revelation remains.

The experience of the Ancients recall light so luminous, self-shining, resplendent, diminishing pride of ego, and confusion of desires. A taste of that experience alone satisfies and satiates. Let everyday be your Diwali of illumination when you surrender your meditation seat and the fruits thereof to the transpersonal being – guru, awaked in your meditation.

“Let Light alone be your delight.” Purification is the pre-requisite to reduce the totality of the world’s pains with the light of kindness, compassion, and love.

Free yourself from these opaque wrappings of mind with:
Peacefulness of temperament;
Control over the sensual attractions and attachments;
Cultivate bhava, positive sentiments that guide your inclinations;
Patience and forbearance to withstand the pull & push of dualities;
Gentle and humble faith;
Evenness of character and temperament; dispassion means compassion, clarity of life’s purpose and harmony of mind in resolving all questions.

When mind comes to rest, “Be still, be still and know, be still and know that I am, be still and know that I am God,” and, let this voice speak in you, with you, through you.

With this Diwali festival recall the path of knowledge maintained in this spiritual Lineage. Resolve to follow the path of divine love where the sweetness of light, life and love are the revelations of the Self – the pure Spirit, the Being that you are.

Om, srb

Editor’s Note:

Swami Ritavan Bharati also shared Souls of Light & Love by Swami Veda Bharati as part of the Diwali Message.

Desperation and Dedication

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Desperation and Dedication are the valley and the mountain, the two known only to each other.

Desperation and Dedication are the two sides of the same coin,

A coin spent, nay, surrendered as the currency of ambition for the purpose of life.

Why suffer human folly when you can enjoy divine beauty.

Desperation_and_Dedication

Satisfy that seeking, yearning, desiring that calls to you — day and night from that inner hunger of mind’s fear, worry and despondency.

With this currency of ambition make a purchase that is so beautiful, so sweet and fulfill this natural, innate human urge to know atman the spiritual self.

Your purpose, your destiny reveals that Wisdom beyond all unfulfilled identities and fears.

Deserve to serve your saintly destiny.

Pay the price in surrender and purchase the quest: “In This Very Life You Come to Know God.”

Editor’s Note:

This article was also published as part of the “Dear Yoga Mentor, My Question Is…” column in the October 2020 edition of the AHYMSIN Newsletter.

Message from Swami Ritavan

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[“The AHYMSIN Board meeting always begins with an offering to the Guru and blessings by Swami Ritavan. Blessings, shared below, extends beyond the meeting, embracing the entire Sangha.” – Rajini Prakash]

ॐ अखण्डमण्डलाकारं व्याप्तं येन चराचरम्।
तत्पदं दर्शितं येन तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः॥
सौम्या सौम्यतराशेष सौम्येभ्यस्त्वतिसुन्दरी ।
परापराणां परमा त्वमेव परमेश्वरी ॥
तारे तुत्तारे तुरे स्वाहा ॥
Om Akhaṇḍa-maṇḍalākāram vyāptam yena carācaram
Tat padam darśitam yena, tasmai śrī gurave namah.
Saumyā saumyātarāśeṣā saumyebhyas tvati sundari,
parāparāṇāṁ paramā tvameva parameshvarī.
tāre, tut tāre ture, swāhā.

Namaste, greetings to all.

As we gather in the spirit of Guru’s grace, light of knowledge, and with aspirations for kindness (amity), compassion (karuna), what has been identified as a global pandemic, along with the syndromes of conflict, fear, anger, misery, and the attentive conditions of loss, loss of loved ones, of home, job, livelihood, self-respect and dignity, our task, through our sadhana in applied spirituality, is greater understanding, not only of what is right with the world but how the beauty of that which is right can be applied to beautify in what has become “ugly” in so many eyes, in all those ways mentioned.

We recall those guides and guiding principles of our past and present, and emulating them to forge a strong and steady path to the future. The future of AHYMSIN and of the entire world. Remember, through our applied sadhana, our disciplined mind is trained to rest in this most natural state of beauty, calm and free of conflict. It is the nature of our personality that animates forces to maintain calm, peaceful, harmonious and conflict-free minds in those around us in ever-expanding circles of influence.

Our task today, and each and every day, is to remain aware of that purity as our natural state of personality, and at the same time, remain aware of our acts, emotions, sentiments, words, and expressions of our personality. Through self-observation, through neutrality, through awareness, through conscious choice, through identification with the strong, the pure, the beauty-that is the divine within and through a certain restraint, we become a conqueror. Together as AHYMSIN, we reach-for and reach the promised nature of wisdom, freedom and liberation as One for All.

Editor’s Note:

This message has also been published in the September 2020 edition of the AHYMSIN newsletter.

Full Moon Meditation Message

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In meditation, we gather in the spirit of Guru’s grace, light of knowledge, and with aspirations for kindness (amity), compassion (karuna), our task remains—Awake and Aware. Aware of our inner strength as our natural state of personality. Awake through self-observation, through neutrality, through conscious choice. Our identification with this essential nature reveals the strong, the pure, the beauty-that is our divine nature. Through a certain restraint, we become a conqueror. Our task, through our sadhana in applied spirituality, is greater understanding, not only of what is right with the world but how the beauty of that which is right can be applied to beautify in what has become “ugly” in so many ways. And, it is the “I”of ego–me and mine, that harbors negative emotions, conflicts, and criticisms that veil and obscure beauty. Remember, it is the nature of our divine personality that animates forces to maintain calm, peaceful, harmonious, and conflict-free minds within, and in those around us in ever-expanding circles of influence.

Be the Light of Love that you seek.

Editor’s Note:

A message from Swami Ritavan Bharati on the occasion of the Full Moon Meditation on 1 October 2020 via The Meditation Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

The Importance of the AHYMSIN Community Saumya Mantra Practice

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Once again let us come back to our practices. The practices that no doubt each of us have by way of those daily routines of sadhana, but by way of having time, making time, honouring time to intensify, to deepen, to nurture another part of our spiritual life that we have always hoped for – the opportunity to address in addition to our daily meditation for spiritual renewal, for that rejuvenation of the spirit by way of our own mantras, also knowing yourself to be not the meditator, but the very way in which the meditation can flow, a flow that actually is arising from the samasti citta, from the universal mindfield where those saintly minds, the Masters in their bodiless forms remain as mind and thereby extending their blessing honouring that role that they continue playing in blessing humanity and thus bringing grace toward for us by way of our meditations to receive.

Along with the personal mantra, we have our community mantra, the Saumya mantra, and it’s not a coincidence that the Saumya mantra was introduced a year ago. For when we look at when such collection mantras are brought forward to our awareness, we find that there are preparations for that inner strength. Swami Veda brought the first recognition of the Saumya mantra to the community back at the turn of the millennium. Only then did he address what this pacification of the mindfield on a universal scale would mean and would be necessary.

And he gave such a beautiful address The Perennial in the Millennium, meaning how to envision the future, because it was only within a number of months later that the United States experienced a trauma of that terrorist act that brought an entire change of consciousness through the community of the US citizens. But it actually affected the entire globe. And it actually gave us at that time a mirror to look at ourselves, and yet how we acted and reacted has continued some theme in our humanity of fear and protection and [of] securing our small little concept of self. He recognized that this was coming; he asked us to begin the Saumya, and we continued that for this period of time plus an entire 3-year segment.

And now that mantra is coming back to us a year ago. We too are preparing and have actually prepared the groundwork for what is now happening which has once again shown us that we must think of the future in a positive way, in a vision, that will create the themes of this perennial in the millennium, that we once again will come back to and reread and contemplate on and secure in our mind very clearly a vision for our future.

And that’s not imaginary; it’s not fantasy; it is the reality of that first yoga, that first way in which humanity has a collective harmonious mindfield of the saintly. This is how they lived, and this is how a segment of that consciousness has continued to mature and manifest in each of the many yugas that have continued from that point. So whether we simply say “Oh, this is the Kali Yuga” and again and again, we simply blame our own ignorance, our own pain and sufferings that is outside of us. We have the opportunity to go inside. We have the opportunity to envision the prominence of that perennial that remains and thereby create the future that we wish for.

Swami Rama reminds us that we are the writers of our own manuscript day by day. In this lifetime for our next lifetime. So, how will we compose this life and write the book of life that will then be a chapter for the next manifestation of this Jiva Atman?

Editor’s Note:

This article was also published in the May 2020 edition of the AHYMSIN Newsletter.

Fifth Anniversary of Swami Veda Bharati’s Maha-samadhi

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“Share with the world a wrinkle-free forehead, a calm, soothed, wrinkle-free mind-pool of stillness and silence.” the often repeated words of Swami Veda.

Our mandate of the Lineage remains — “share with the world the pure form of meditation: as a process and a goal.” Through meditation, prayer, and contemplation we change the world, from within.

And today we are ready to embrace a world that has changed, and in a subtle way, has become purer, more beautiful, kinder, and more compassionate. We send a quiet, yes, very quiet message to the forces of the subtle world and having done so, leave it there, surrender it to the divine will, and do not struggle.

A force unites us around the globe, this unified experience of Oneness challenges us to remember those who are experiencing the pain and suffering of illness and loss with patience, compassion, and understanding.

When faith and hope have matured in the fires of sadhana, a loving mind, the gold of the pious alchemists’ forms as the pure-hearted gem of the saintly world. This aspiration, this sankalpa for a life well-lived, is what unites us, and these are the aspirations, as well as, the gifts we bring to the world today.

We gather in celebration on this fifth anniversary of the Maha-samadhi of Swami Veda, with this gift for the collective mind-field of humanity. Please receive the blessings of this sacred fire and our akhanda-japa from our residents at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG). And, as we continue with our Saumya-Sangha Mantra, Tare Tut Tare Ture Svaha, may this Mantra of Peace, find sanctuary in our interior solitude – a sacred place of peace, beauty, fullness, and wholeness in the heart-cave of humanity. We honor this revered saint, who touched our hearts, in our lives bearing witness to his teaching: “Let each person feel loved“.

In service to the preceptors of the Lineage,
srb

Editor’s Note:

 

Shared by AHYMSIN:

On 14 July, 2015 our beloved Swami Veda Bharati left his body.

To celebrate the purity and love that Swami Veda embodied, you are warmly invited for Online Satsang – ‘In Loving Remembrance of Swami Veda Bharati’ on 16 July, 2020.

Swami Ritavan Bharati, Spiritual Guide of AHYMSIN and Ashram Pramukha of Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG) in Rishikesh, will bless us with his presence in this program. He will also guide us with a special meditation on this sacred occasion.

Kindly pre-register for this program by 14 July, 2020. Seats are limited.

Date: 16 July, 2020
Time: 5:00 to 6:30 PM (IST)
Location: Zoom
For registration email: ahymsinsouthsangha@gmail.com

Guru Purnima 2020

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svaha – svaha – svaha:
a fire burns within,
a sacred yajna honoring the light of knowledge,
the guru within, above, below, on all sides,
the very source of peace happiness and bliss – danda-pranam.

a fire burns to the back as dharma, the righteous way of truth, svaha;
a fire burns to the front, the fruits of all actions, svaha;
a fire burns above, the illuminating guru enlightening, ever-present, svaha;
a fire burns within, flame of desire, urge of moksha…the offering made….
In that final svaha, ghee and spiced-herbs, thoughts and prayers, samskaras and ignorance – all is offered to the Guru, svaha.

That Guru of liberating wisdom in silence response:
your sacrifice of surrender, burning the knots of bondage, letting-go of attachments, now, Come to Me.

Delight in discipline, strength in respect, liberation in ishwar-pranidhana,
now, Come to Me.

Reason cannot see, attachments cannot hold, samskaras will not bind,
now, Come to Me.

To that Guru that is Vasudeva, the indwelling illumination of the heart-cave,
my oblations of self, sacrifice of ego, surrender of ignorance;
You alone are the source of my inner strength, my determination, my all.

svaha,

On this Full-moon of Guru Purnima, aspire, decide, and practice, become the flute through which the winds of Guru’s Breath will sing an eternal song of Love.

Yours in danda-pranam, to the paduka, the feet of Guru.
Om
dasanudasa

This is a translation of Swami Ritavan’s message into French. 

Message de Swami Ritavan Bharati
A l’occasion du Gourou Purnima
Publié : 04 juillet 2020 | Écrit par Swami Ritavan Bharati | Imprimé
Gourou Purnima 2020
Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama, Rishikesh, Inde

svaha – svaha – svaha :
un feu brûle à l’intérieur,
un yajna sacré honorant la lumière de la connaissance,
le gourou à l’intérieur, au-dessus, en dessous, de tous les côtés,
la source même de la paix, du bonheur et de la félicité – danda-pranam.
un feu brûle dans le dos en tant que dharma, la voie juste de la vérité, svaha ;
un feu brûle à l’avant, les fruits de toutes les actions, svaha ;
un feu brûle au-dessus, le gourou illuminant, toujours présent, svaha ;
un feu brûle à l’intérieur, flamme du désir, pulsion de moksha…l’offrande faite….
Dans ce svaha final, ghee et herbes épicées, pensées et prières, samskaras et ignorance – tout est offert au gourou, svaha.
Ce gourou de la sagesse libératrice répond en silence :
ton sacrifice de reddition, brûlant les nœuds de l’esclavage, lâchant les attachements, maintenant, viens à moi.
Le plaisir de la discipline, la force du respect, la libération dans ishwar-pranidhana,
maintenant, Viens à moi.
La raison ne voit pas, les attaches ne tiennent pas, les samskaras ne lient pas,
maintenant, Viens à moi.
A ce gourou qu’est Vasudeva, l’illumination intérieure de la cavité du cœur,
mes oblations du moi, le sacrifice de l’ego, l’abandon de l’ignorance ;
Vous seul êtes la source de ma force intérieure, de ma détermination, de mon tout.
svaha,
En cette pleine lune de Guru Purnima, aspirez, décidez et pratiquez, devenez la flûte à travers laquelle les vents du Souffle de Guru chanteront un éternel chant d’Amour.
Le vôtre en danda-pranam, à la paduka, les pieds de Guru.
Om
dasanudasa