Author: Divya - Administrator

Online Resources for the Covid-19 Time

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With the social distancing now in place because of Covid-19, we would like to share some online resources. There may be more of which we are unaware. You can contact us by clicking on the AHYMSIN Office contact regarding sources not mentioned or updated information.

Announcement for Covid-19

Swami Ritavan Bharati, Spiritual Guide of AHYMSIN, has made an “Announcement for Covid-19” which includes a “Spiritual Action Plan for the Sangha.” Please read this by clicking on “Announcement for Covid-19.” Within this article, you will find links to the Saumyā-Tārā mantra and the Mrityunjaya mantra; the links will take you to articles about the mantras as well as to audio sound files.

Full Moon Meditation

You are invited to sit in meditation for an hour wherever you are. Total beginners and longtime practitioners, non-initiates and initiates are welcome. For more information, please click on Full Moon Meditation.

Self-Study Readings, Recordings and Videos of Swami Rama and Swami Veda Bharati

Swami Veda Bharati advised many who asked for guidance to use this list. Please click on Standard Reading List.

Two Minute Meditation

Swami Veda Bharati suggested going every 2-3 hours into a state of inner silence (meditative state) for just 2 minutes. Click here for more information.

Questions on Spiritual Practice

Questions on Spiritual Practice can be sent to the Adhyatma Samiti, or Spiritual Committee, by clicking here.

AHYMSIN Newsletter

You can subscribe to the AHYMSIN Newsletter by clicking here.

AHYMSIN YouTube Channel

The AHYMSIN YouTube Channel is https://www.youtube.com/user/ahymsin

Swami Veda Bharati on YouTube and in other Videos

Listings of some videos can be seen by clicking here.

Swami Rama’s Channel on YouTube

Please click here to see a listing.

Sadhana Mandir

New Online Learning option available –  a study guide to “Meditation and Its Practice” by Swami Rama: https://sadhanamandir.org/wordpress/online-learning/ 

Online Satsangs offered by Affiliate Center in Canada

Himalayan Yoga Meditation Center Calgary is offering online Satsangs with Pandit Dabral. The best listing of these is on their Facebook page. Their website also has a contact page. These classes are in English.

Online Classes and Resources by Affiliate Center in Germany

Online classes from Himalaya Institut Deutschland, an affiliate center. These classes are in German. https://www.himalaya-institut.de/

Online Classes offered in Greece

Himalayan Yoga Meditation of Hellas
www.himalayanyoga.gr  
Started on the 21 of March, through Skype.
Every Tuesday and Thursday from 20.00 to 21.30, Joints and Glands and Hatha Yoga,
Every Thursday from 21.30 to 22.30, Pranayama and Meditation
Every Saturday from 18:00 to 19.00, Children Stories from the East, narration and discussion
Every Saturday from 20.00 to 22.00, Parents, discussions about the present situation and preparation for seva (“hugging mothers” for orphan babies, and “food for everybody” project, in co-operation with the Municipality of Chalandri, Athens).
These classes are in Greek.

Online Classes offered by Affiliate Center in Hungary

Himalája i Jóga Tradícióis offering free online classes. Please click here for more information. These classes are in Hungarian. They also have a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/himalajaijoga/ 

Offerings by Centers in Italy

From Himalayan Yoga Institute Italia: “Every Wednesday in May • We meditate together in our own homes. From 21.00 to 21.30.” Please click here for more information. They also have a link on their website to “Articles and Readings” which are articles by Swami Rama and Swami Veda Bharati which have been translated into Italian.

From Spazio Shanti: “yoga and meditation lessons in which you can participate by connecting from a computer, tablet or mobile phone.” These classes are in Italian. Please see https://www.spazioshanti.org/

From Associazione Himalayan Center Padova: “We offer online yoga and meditation lessons and ayurveda workshops”. Please see in our Facebook page: Associazione Himalayan Center @himalayancenterpadova. For more information you can visite our website: https://himalayancenterpadova.it/

Classes and events offered by Affiliate Centers in the USA

These classes are in English.

The Meditation Center in Minneapolis is offering online sessions and are publicizing them in their newsletter. If you are not on their mailing list and would like to be, please go to their Contact Page. If you scroll down on the page, you will find “SIGN UP TO RECEIVE UPDATES ON CLASSES AND EVENTS!” and a space to enter your email address and then click subscribe. They also have a Facebook page. In addition, The Meditation Center has placed videos of some of their Zoom classes on Vimeo.

From the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Center in Illinois: “WE ARE WORKING TO OFFER OUR YOGA, MEDITATION CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS VIA REMOTE CONNECTION OPTIONS. As we add classes that you can attend remotely, those classes will indicate the method of connection in their description” For more information, please visit their website: https://hymcillinois.com/

From Himalayan Yoga & Meditation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin: We are offering some Zoom classes. For more informaton, please visit their website https://himalayanyogamilwaukee.org/ 

Online Classes in Japan

For information about online classes in Japan: ahymsin.jp@gmail.com Website: https://sites.google.com/site/ahymsinjapan/home

Himalayan Yoga Meditation Society Hong Kong

The Himalayan Yoga Meditation Society Hong Kong has some videos on their YouTube channel featuring Swami Veda Bharati.

Himalayan Yoga Meditation Society Ludhiana (India)

Himalayan Yoga Meditation Society Ludhiana (India) has a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LudhianaYoga/ 

AHYMSIN Korea

Under the guidance of Hansaji (Helen Choe), AHYMSIN Korea also shares teachings of the tradition through web community (http://cafe.daum.net/TTPinKorea ). Most Materials are written form, which are translated into Korean. There is also the Facebook page for AHYMSIN, Korea.

Offerings in Republic of China (Taiwan)

AHYMSIN Taiwan has some videos with Swami Veda Bharati on their YouTube channel. They also offer online classes, which are announced on their 2 Facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/ahymsin.taiwan/ and https://www.facebook.com/groups/AHYMSIN.TAIWAN/ 

Himalayan Insky Yoga offers online and in person classes. Please see the website http://inskyyoga.blogspot.tw/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/inskyoga 

AHYMSIN Thailand

ahymsinthailand has a number of vidoes on their YouTube channel.

Ahymsinthailand Himalayanyoga has a number of videos on their Facebook page. These videos include videos with Swami Veda Bharati, Swami Ritavan Bharati, Stephen Parker (Stoma), Ashutosh Sharma, Shi Hong, John Sellinger, Swami Nityamuktananda.

Yogadocent

Yogadocent has 3 videos on their YouTube channel – 1 each with Swami Ritavan Bharati, Stephen Parker (Stoma), and Ashutosh Sharma.

Digital Pilgrim

John Sellinger, a former Gurukulam student and international teacher, has established Digital Pilgrim which features videos and audios in our tradition. There is a website, a Facebook page, and a YouTube Channel.

 

Prayers and Succour for Current Global Uncertainties

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My very dear souls

My prostrations to the Divine Master.

Some of us are witnessing for the first time in this lifetime what a pandemic is and what is currently being spread by the Corona virus.

A century ago, in 1918, the world experienced the Spanish influenza (H1N1) pandemic where it was estimated that 25% to 30% of the world population became infected with this virus. Then years later, we heard of the H2N2 Asian flu, the H3N2 Hong Kong flu and more recently, the H1N1 swine flu ten years ago. Sometime about 50 years ago we were told of the HIV virus which continues to exist.

What does this mean for all of us? And for those of us in the Himalayan Tradition?

There have been many advisories issued by the countries affected by this contagion. These advisories and notifications carry practically the same messages about social distancing, no handshakes, self-quarantine, observing cleanliness like washing the hands thoroughly with antiseptics or detergents, wearing a mask, not touching our faces etc.

We are experiencing for first time ‘lockdowns’ and ‘price gouging’, ‘panic buying’, trajectories in the corona virus curves, and ‘tissue and toilet paper crisis’; and we are hearing of many other new alien terminologies.

Voluntary or self-isolation or self-quarantine is probably the only action very familiar to many of us in the Tradition in pursuit of sadhana and tapasya.

The practices advocated and advised by the governments and various immigration and health authorities are there to be followed and these are extremely important in any environment including the ashram.

As ordinary mortals, we must observe and take the necessary precautions strictly to look after ourselves. More so, as a consideration and compassion for the other souls that love and live within our environment.

Our Master Swami Rama educates us that ‘our body is a temple and it’s our duty to worship the Divinity that resides within’. Hence, it’s our sacred duty to protect our body through our efforts and Their Grace from any illness and mishaps.

Of course, the Tradition will provide the extra shield through the vibrations of our mantras. Our Himalayan Tradition – the Bharati Lineage exemplifies Divine Knowledge and Love. We must all earn this privilege explicitly through our actions.

In the case of this corona virus pandemic which is inclined to be a long haul, we must observe and practice strictly the basic tenets and principles of preventive hygiene. These practices are nothing short of us being selfless. Selfless means by being totally caring for the others around us. Spacing ourselves adequately in the meditation hall and avoiding crowds especially in the food hall. Taking our food in our own rooms is an option. Not hugging but observing mental salutations and many other ways of showing that we care for our brothers and sisters.

Selfishness is when our manas prompts us that we are immune to these diseases. Some may feel that they have attained higher spiritual boundaries, but there are many who are within the circle who are aspirants in this spiritual path.

As long as we are in an environment where there are other souls around us, we must ensure that we observe the basics of preventive hygiene. There are no two ways about this.

Let us all in our own uniqueness pray for the welfare of mankind wherever they may be; for those medical and healthcare personnel and the support staff; for those who are in the essential services who are maintaining law and order, those in the water and food industry; the sewage industry, the cleaners, and for all those who are on call and in sacrifice, in various capacities of the different occupations.

And let us all extend our prayers to those who are at risk to this disease and let us also pray for those who are already exposed to this suffering and its affliction.

May all our prayers be heard by the Almighty Universal Divine Mother and may these prayers be permitted by Her to resonate wherever there is a need to help anyone and everyone.

May our Tradition give us the strength to collectively and as individuals bear the suffering of mankind and to provide succour to those who need this love in these tumultuous times.

May the prayers of the Most Holy sages and seers of the past present and future in the highest peaks of the Himalayas continue to vibrate into every microcosm of the earth and help ease our sufferings in this era of Kali Yuga.

May our prayers be to thank these Most Venerable Enlightened Beings wholeheartedly for Their prayers which has been helping this earth and all that live in Her ever since.

And may we all pray that the pandemic is not protracted and that the aftereffects of the pandemic including the world economy is not severely damaged especially so that the poor and the destitute have enough sustenance and shelter.

May each of us as representative souls of the Tradition do our part to alleviate the current crisis through our prayers and actions.

May the Master and the Lineage protect each one that requires deliverance.

Aum Guruve Namaha

Aum Shanti Shanti Shanti

In Service of Gurudev

Mohan Swami

Editor’s Note:

Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Mohan Swami, a disciple of Swami Rama, is the President of both AHYMSIN and Dhyana Mandiram Trust (DMT).

Announcement for Covid-19

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…Tāre tut tāre ture svāhā:

With this prayer for you and your loved ones in all parts of the world, together let us cultivate serenity. In these times of adversity, the teachings of the Tradition continue by way of the power of your ascetic endeavor (tapas). Let us loosen the knots of the heart to remain full of hope (smriti). Come to the awareness of this moment and remain the observer. Come in-touch with the power that emanates when you have gathered all forces and rest in stillness. Where fears and worries appear, let-go and let the spiritual forces rise-up in your mind.

The quest remains, the teachings continue, the blessings flow, all from that spiritual core of our being. Let this opportunity be a willful event for purification. That is the ideal of titiksha–forbearance. This is our lesson, and this is our test.

As you experience hardships and challenges, remain aware of your spiritual strength, through your disciplines of ahimsa, satya, santosha. Let your mind smile.

Cultivate this awareness drop by drop, moment to moment. Recognize this source within, and thereby, recognize these natural forces of patience, forbearance, tolerance. Such sentiments arise from your purified and pacified mindfield showing their fruits in goodness, satiety, kindness and compassion. Let it be a process of a different kind of awareness and a renewing quality of our selves.

Let us have a moment of silence, offering our prayers and our japa for the well-being of all.

Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.

SRB
Rishikesh, India

Spiritual Action Plan for the Sangha:

Together, on behalf of the Lineage, let us dedicate our prayers, japa and actions for the well-being and benefit of humanity. Please continue with your daily meditations offering the fruits of your yoga with the sentiment of “namah”, not mine but Thine. In addition to your mantra japa, and your Saumyā-Tārā verse and mantra purascharana, may I request that you use your time wisely for your inner life and your spiritual renewal and rejuvenation. The following are suggestions for our global Sangha members:

1. Daily meditation (same time and place)
2. Offering the fruits of your japa and meditation
3. Along with your personal mantra, and the Saumyā-Tārā mantra japa dedicated to the Sangha, you can add the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra for the well-being, healing and liberation of all.
4. Begin the habit keeping some minutes of centering awareness and japa at your Full Moon Meditation Time on a DAILY basis. You can use a minute to mentally recite 3 Saumyā-Tārā mantras and 3 Mrityunjaya mantras; or 15 minutes to recite 21 times these mantras, and again offering the intention for the well-being of all plus any other intentions.
5. Maintain your observation of the Full Moon Meditation Time each month in your home or wherever.
6. Also practice Svadhyaya, a deeper contemplation of your spiritual aims and goals.
7. May the fruits of love, kindness and compassion be your solace.

These and others may continue to be shared by spiritual guides for the community.

With blessings and gratitude,

Swami Ritavan

Two Diwali Messages, 2019

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Grace-filled lamps of honeyed illumination set in a row as our pools of shakti – the lifeforce of the Infinite. The One who breathes-out to fill and fulfill this river-of-light, and breathes-in to return us back to Her invisible-embrace of stillness.

As Her child, we dance around our 7-pools forming the circles of unbroken light. She places us as Her deepaks into the kundalini stream watching this light flow heavenward. May Her Name be in each breath, may Her embrace awaken your chakra-pools. And may you follow the illumined path of sadhana that is lit by Her Love. Resolve on this day of festivities that each Brahma-vihara – kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity will be your constant companions.

Om jyotih, jyotir-aham – I am light, I am a being of Light –

Deepavali Blessings of the Lineage

Swami Ritavan Bharati

With resplendent flame of self, letting-go name & form,
awakening the inner light of insight
-contemplation and meditation,
shining in polished mind with heart aglow
illuminations of life, diminishing gaps of duality.
A brilliant star draws you draws you near,
ever-so-clear, ever-so-dear,
light unobscured by mirrored image, –” i am that.”
Svaha
radiant Self- AHAM;
Becoming – Hamsa — So-Ham
with virile mind enlightened, natural harmony of life ensues.
Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah
Unto That – Light, my obeisance,

– Swami Ritavan Bharati

Editor’s Note:

These two messages were shared by Savita Agarwal and The Meditation Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

Commencing the 50-Year Celebration of the Meditation Center

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Celebrating the Spirit – Jayee!

by way of the Eternal and Omnipresent Spirit,

this perennial wisdom illumines and love is born in the “golden-womb” of mind;

minds “in-joy” celebrates 50 years of Spirit in the Himalayan Yoga Meditation Tradition.

We gather together to share this journey, mindful of life, heartful of happiness, life lived with purpose.

The wholeness and holiness of life we celebrate,

now and in each will-filled breath;

now and in each chosen sentiment-filled emotion.

Meditate and Awaken, The Time in Now.

We gather to collectively reflect, re-viewing these 50 years by way of the mysteries of Spirit.

We gather in meditation now, and each day in unity of the collective minefield of
awareness.

We gather in prayer and japa purifying, thus bringing peace of mind into each action and
word.

We gather to acknowledge meaningful relationships supported-by and inspired-by our
journey on spiritual path of life.

We gather with the entire Lineage, Past-Present-Future, respectful of our birth through
mantra-initiation.

At our recent AHYMSIN global sangha retreat, we acknowledged the birthing role of the
Himalayan Tradition in the USA,

through the Meditation Center now 50-years ago, and maintain the resolve to preserve the purity of the Tradition.

Meditate and Awaken, The Time in Now.

Editor’s Note:

This has also been published in the July 2019 edition of the AHYMSIN Newsletter.

Guru Purnima Blessings from the Himalayan Sages

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“Sacred goblet where full moon flooding soma forms sahasrara atop your skull. There the guru sprinkles inspired sweet streams of poetic speech, the voice of your soul, as divine sound – mantra. These streams are beyond the touch of death; These are the beautiful waves (sundarya-lahari), the waves of Infinity that touch the shores of your mind. Shreem, unto that Guru-Shri, my prostrations, my homage, my surrender, my ‘not mine’ is offered in love.”

So it is with the layers of the mantras that are granted to us by the lineage, by the Guru-parampara that constantly infuses into our minds the sparkling rays of intuitive wisdom, knowledge, awakening.

Have you cultivated that aspiration? Are your acts inspired by, motivated and guided by this intense longing to reach the personal knowledge of Infinity. Learn to live in the awareness that all spaces of the universe and beyond are immaculately filled with luminous waves of Infinity, ocean-like Infinity sending waves through you day and night reminding you that these bondages are no longer “you”.

This is the teaching passed on by countless generations. This is being passed on to you also; so practice this and prepare yourself and the next and next generation.

Om shreem gurave namah.

Editor’s Note:

This message has also been published in the July 2019 edition of the AHYMSIN Newsletter and by The Meditation Center.

Swami Ritavan Replies to His Friends’ Birthday Wishes

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Dear Breath – song of the Ages,

When each day the sun is born anew, each mind has a new dawn upon waking from sleep, yet the breath, ever-diligent, flows unceasingly day and night.

When each night the moon is awakened from its slumber, each mind is born to new realities of the moment, yet the breath remains spanning this shore to the other shore.

Each breath links the beads of time revealing the counted – breaths of this lifetime. Life is breathed as ‘happy birthday,’ (HamSo Asmi), Nature’s song in the hymn of breath.

And now in this body’s season of autumn, 25000 days have sung the song of 25000 breaths each day.

May God’s name in each of these 625 million breaths become a prayer – song, and may the Rishis of Yore shine with the illumined light of prana in the minds and hearts of you all with their Vedic Hymn of Hamsa, (SoHam).

Om!

Spiritual Message for This Holy-Days Season

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“Guiding Light of Love Reborn—Celebrate!”

As you would hold a child in a hug, and breathe with a relaxed body, now do that with the desires and fears that you intently hold; Relaxing is to let-go, and letting-go is non-attachment.

This subtle relaxation of mind relieves the spiritual fears and afflictions from mind that holds them as, “me, mine and I”;
and deeper than this, is to re-awaken your conscience as the “voice” of mantra—your companion and guide.

Breathe through THIS mental-body.
Breathe with THIS Name and Identity.
May this Birth and Name be the reawakened soul you now celebrate,
the birth of peace, the name that is full of joy;
resolving to continue–each day, and each breath in the coming year.

With all love and light of the Tradition,
and through the grace of the Lineage,
Blessing you and your loved ones in this holy-days season.

Swami Ritavan Bharati

 

2019 Sangha Gathering and Preparations

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When we look to the future, we see the opportunities for change, for growth, for embracing a loving heart and a smiling mind. During these 40 days of spiritual peace, we deepen our commitment and accept our practices as discovery – a tapas of peace. We deepen our relationship with the source of inner light and knowledge through remembering our spiritual heritage, our guides, our inspirations of the past reborn in this deep innate desire for freedom, self-understanding and joy.

As the 40 days lead us to Guru Purnima, and to our upcoming Sangha gathering, we reflect, review, and preview these themes of living a spiritually fulfilling life. Living with the sense of sustainability, with a sense of understanding Mother Earth’s ability to produce and humanity to recognize the nature urge of living in harmony and understanding. We re-commit ourselves through our three themes of ahimsa, aparigraha, and ishwara-pranidhana. With an intention of restraint and understanding, humans can rise above the desires of wanting and taking. The destiny of humanity is to live with awareness and in harmony with nature, living in peaceful co-existence with all and thereby creating a beautiful future here and now.

We are honoring Swami Veda’s contribution through a beautiful little booklet that he created for the United Nations and also for the Parliament of World Religions. Nearly 20 years ago, he shared his revelation in “The Perennial in the Millennium”. These sentiments are as important now as they were then, and will be, in the next decades to come.

Perennial in the Millennium

He presented us with a How-To manual to create a beautiful future, a peaceful future, not only for oneself but for one’s family, community, and abundance for the whole world. In this booklet, he has given us tools for insight and guidance of humanity if they so choose.

In our sangha gathering, members of the world organization, the AHYMSIN organization will honor the Tradition with the dictum of Swami Rama: Love, Serve and Remember, and take steps to apply the vision that Swami Veda left with us to inspire our spiritual-lives for future generations.

Editor’s Note:

The 2019 Sangha Gathering is scheduled for 25th February – 5th March, 2019, at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama (SRSG) in Rishikesh, India. Contact: ahymsin@ahymsin.org.

“The Perennial in the Millennium” by Swami Veda Bharati is available in Kindle from Amazon and Amazon.in. For inquiries about purchasing it in booklet form, please contact Himalayan Yoga Publications Trust (HYPT) at hyptbooks@gmail.com.

“The Perennial in the Millennium,” a poem by Swami Veda Bharati can be read by clicking on the title.

[This article was previously published in the June 2018 edition of the AHYMSIN Newletter.]