Saturday 7 August 2010

Satsang this week was a very special occasion. It was the Mahasamadhi (or great passing) celebration of Bhagavan Nityananda. The program began with Nityananda Arati. In honor of the occasion we chanted ‘Om Namo Bhagavate Nityanandaya’ and saw a short slide show where Bhagavan resided in Ganeshpuri. The chant group then performed a beautiful Bhajan dedicated to Bhagavan. There was no doubt, Bhagavan Nityananda’s shakti was felt.

Swamiji said, “The death of a Great Being is a manifestation of the eternal in the temporary.” Of Bhagavan, Swamiji said, “Bhagavan Nityananda is the embodiment of tremendous love. He was a great avadhut.”

Swamiji referred to the book, ‘The Chidakash Gita’ which is a collection of aphoristic statements made by Bhagavan. Relating outer worldly things to the inner experience, Bhagavan said, “Shiva is in Kashi but Kashi is in the Sky of the heart.” Swamiji added, “He is referring to the outer Kashi, the holy city on the bank of the Ganges, and the inner Kashi.” Bhagavan said, “The heart is the seat of peace. The yagna is the tasting of the nectar of wisdom.” Swamiji continued, “The external ritual (yagna) done by Brahmans is the inner experience of merging the mind with the Self.”

Bhagavan said, “The chakras below the neck relate to Hatha yoga.” Swamiji commented, “The best way to control the chakras below the neck is breath control.”

Continuing, Bhagavan said, “The chakras above the neck relate to Raja Yoga. Control of them is acquired through the practice of meditation.”

Swamiji then referred to a little book titled, “Nityananda” written in 1957. The book contained great descriptions of Vajeshwari, Ganeshpuri and Bhagavan himself.

To end Swamiji quoted Bhagavan Nityananda from the Chidakasha Gita, “Keep consciousness in the sky of the heart. The path to liberation is not far from the Self. The way of the intellect leads to liberation”.

For meditation Swamiji told us to concentrate on the breath, using Bhagavan’s technique of imagining the ‘breath is like a rope’. He said, “Focus on the space of consciousness in the heart or the brain: pure awareness. Watch the breath and focus on it. Meditate on your true form. That form is Bhagavan Nityananda because he is a human embodiment of that space of consciousness.”