With the passing from this earth plane of the Reverend Mother Sri Daya Mata, beloved President and Sanghamata of Self-Realization Fellowship / Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, we are happy to release a beautiful and inspirational video dedicated to the Mother of Us All. Set to the divinely enchanting song "Give Me Ma", by Swami Nirvanananda, you will find it to be a heart-felt tribute to the Mother Divine in all Her manifest forms – including that of our dear Daya Ma, who so lovingly served Paramahansa Yogananda's work for more than 78 years. If you have not as yet viewed this wonderful video, you can find it on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLPZ3mqtLuI

At the beginning of a new year, it seemed natural to center this issue of Himalayan Heritage around the life of this rare exemplar of true Guru Bhakti and selfless service to all. Sri Daya Mataji was 96 years of age when she left us late in the night of November 30th. She had been a renunciant in her Guru’s ashram since 1932, and served as president of his worldwide society from 1955, succeeding the second president of SRF Sri Rajarsi Janakananda, who served as president for only three years after the Master’s Mahasamadhi. Under her guidance, Yogoda Satsanga Society of India was set on a firm foundation and began to spread its spiritual, educational and humanitarian presence throughout the blessed land of the Master’s birth.

In a letter to the devotees in 1984, Ma wrote these words: “Gurudeva’s mission was not easy, for Divine Mother sent him from receptive India to the skeptical Occident to preach a new kind of science, that of Self-Realization. The magnetism of his love for God and mankind inspired a spiritual revolution, and he became a living liaison between East and West. Now thousands around the globe are finding refuge in his teachings and omnipresent blessings. And this in only the beginning; for as he predicted, one day this message from God will sweep the world.” For more than 55 years, Ma wholeheartedly directed the spreading of the great Guru’s message and teachings throughout the world, and did her part beyond measure in fulfilling Paramahansaji’s thrilling prediction.

In the same letter she said: “Our beloved Guru was so humble that in his autobiography he extolled many sages above himself. But in his God-ordained mission, he is the world avatar of this age; and few of his spiritual stature have walked these mortal shores.” She could very well have been speaking of herself. Humble

beyond words, Sri Daya Mata was extremely reluctant to assume the role of leadership in her Guru’s society. Yet in a profound inner experience of communion with the Divine Mother, she accepted that role in complete surrender to the Divine will.

In another letter written in 1967, Ma tell us: “The more we realize we belong to God alone, the greater becomes our desire to surrender to Him everything that is within us. We keep nothing back. We lay at his feet our sorrows, our desires, our frustrations. The more you just give everything to God, the more you will become aware that you are not bound by limitations, sorrows, weaknesses. They don’t belong to you. Even your body doesn’t belong to you. Your moods don’t belong to you. Everything belongs to God….

One prayer is constantly in my heart: “Divine Mother, all I want is You.” No matter what happens, no matter what comes, I just pray, “Divine Mother, all I want is You.” Nothing can take that desire away from me. No matter what others say, no matter what happens, that desire no one can destroy. I want God. It is as simple as that. I love God. It is as simple as that. I desire God’s friendship and love first. And in feeling God’s response to my desire, I feel love for all.”

In her humility, Ma maintained as low of a profile as she could, while directing and overseeing a worldwide spiritual movement in rapid growth and expansion. Yet, when all is said and done, Sri Daya Mata will be known as one of the truly great saints of modern times.

A Blessing from Mahavatar Babaji During a visit to Paramahansa Yogananda’s ashrams in India (October 1963 – May 1964, Sri Daya Mata made a sacred pilgrimage to a Himalayan cave that has been sanctified by the physical presence of Mahavatar Babaji. For some time afterward, Daya Mata declined in public meetings to speak about her experience. But when, at this satsanga in Encinitas, a devotee asked Mataji to tell of her visit to Babaji’s cave, the Divine Will prompted a positive response. Following is her account, for the inspiration of all.

For a time I sat in the Katgodam railroad station all alone. The other devotees had gone outside to

January / February 2011 Issue No. 35

wait for the cars. With deep feeling and devotion, I was practicing what we call in India Japa Yoga, repeating the name of the Divine again and again. In this practice, the whole consciousness gradually becomes absorbed in one thought to the exclusion of everything else. I was taking the name of Babaji. All I could think about was Babaji. My heart was bursting with a thrill indescribable.

Suddenly, I lost all awareness of this world. My mind was completely withdrawn into another state of consciousness. In an ecstasy of sweetest joy I beheld the presence of Babaji. I understood what Saint Theresa of Avila meant when she spoke of “seeing” the formless Christ: the i n d i v i d u a l i t y o f S p i r i t manifesting as soul, cloaked only in the thought-essence of being. This “seeing” is a perception more vivid and exact in detail than the gross outlines of material forms, or even of visions. Inwardly I bowed and took the dust of his feet.

Master had told some of us: “You need never concern yourselves about the leadership of our Society. Babaji has already selected those who are destined to lead this work.” When I was chosen by the board, I questioned, “Why me?” Now I found myself appealing to Babaji about it: “They chose me. I am so unworthy. How could it be?” I was sobbing at his feet.

So sweet ly, he replied: “My child, you must not doubt your Guru. He spoke the truth. What he told you is true.” As Babaji spoke these words, a blissful peace came over me. My whole being remained bathed in that peace, for how long I do not know.

Gradually I became aware that the others in the party had come back into the room. When I opened my eyes, I beheld my surroundings with a new perception. I remember exclaiming, “Of course! I have been here before.” Everything was instantly familiar to me; memories of a past lifetime reawakened!

… Throughout the whole day, the experience I had with Babaji at Katgodam was part of my consciousness;

there was also the constant feeling that I was reliving scenes from the past.

That night I couldn’t sleep. As I sat in meditation, the whole room was lit suddenly with a golden light. The light became a brilliant blue, and there again was the presence of our beloved Babaji! This time he said: “My child, know this: it is not necessary for devotees to come to this spot to find me. Whoever goes within with deep devotion, calling and believing in me, will find my response.” This was his message to you all. How true it is. If

you only believe, if you have devotion and silently call on Babaji, you will feel his response.

Then I said, “Babaji, my Lord, our Guru taught us that whenever we want to feel wisdom, we should pray to Sri Yukteswarji, because he is all jnana, all wisdom; and whenever we want to feel ananda, or bliss, we should commune with Lahiri Mahasaya. What is your nature? As I said it, oh, I felt as though my heart was going to burst with love, such love – a thousand million loves rolled into one! He is all love; his whole nature is love; for it is love alone that can change this world.”

… The presence of the great avatar slowly vanished in the diminishing blue light, leaving me joyously enwrapped in love divine.

I r e m e m b e r e d w h a t Gurudeva had said to me a short time before he left his body. I had asked him, “Master, usually when the leader goes, an organization no longer grows but begins to die out. How will we carry on with

you? What will hold and inspire us when you are no longer here in the flesh?” Never will I forget his answer: “When I have left this world, only love can take my place. Be so drunk with the love of God night and day that you will know nothing else. And give that love to all.” This is also Babaji’s message – the message for his age.

Extracted from Sri Daya Mata’s book, Only Love Self-Realization Fellowship, 1969

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Vivekamati was a very virtuous youth living in the country of Kalinga. He was living with his Guru, serving him, studying and acquiring knowledge of the Vedas.

Having completed his period of studentship, Vivekamati was preparing to leave his Gurukula abode. He approached his preceptor and addressed him thus: “O venerable Master! Living with thee in this pure and sacred abode, I was safe from the temptations and dangerous attractions of the world. I have now to leave this sheltered place and go amidst the strife and battle of secular life. Pray tell me how I may save myself from the terrible onslaught of worldliness and Maya. Show me a method.”

The wise Guru reflected for a while and said, “Come, I shall show thee the proper means of safeguarding thyself. Follow me now.”

So saying, the Guru led the way, followed by the eager Vivekamati. They reached a small clearing in the midst of a thick jungle. Here lived a bold and powerful mongoose named Sukavachee, or the “well-armored.” He was very agile and constantly alert, because the forest was infested with all kinds of fierce serpents with deadly venom. Daily the mongoose had to fight its foes.

When the Guru and Vivekamati entered the glade, such a fight was in progress. The mongoose was facing the serpent and never took its eyes off its foe. Every time it was attacked, the serpent tried to grip the mongoose in its powerful coils. The mongoose never got caught due to its agility. But at times it was bitten by the snake. The fight went on, and at intervals the mongoose vanished into the surrounding thicket and again emerged fresh and vigorous as ever, quite free from all trace of wound or

injury. It was never exhausted though the snake was seen to weaken and gradually loose its ferocity. The mongoose killed the snake in the end and emerged triumphant and unscathed.

Vivekamati, watching all this in silent wonderment, at last turned to his Guru for enlightenment. The Guru said, “Did you observe, O Vivekamati, the fight between the mongoose and the serpent? Such is the struggle of man with the deadly serpent of worldliness. Even as the mongoose did, man must keep a constant and alert watchfulness lest the coils of worldliness take him unawares.

“Keep the twin eyes of discrimination and inquiry wide open. At times you may become poisoned in the course of your life in the world. Then, just as the mongoose disappeared into the jungle and revived itself with the sanjivini herb and came back again to the fray, you too must retire periodically from the worldly atmosphere and take recourse to satsang, sadhana, seclusion and silent meditation. Satsang and seclusion are the magic herbs which remove the poison of worldliness from you. With their help you can keep yourself safe, O Vivekamati! Depart now with courage. Have no fear.”

Hearing this, Vivekamati was quite reassured, prostrated before the Guru and took his leave. He lived the life of an ideal householder, without at all falling prey to worldliness. After a noble, unattached life in the world, he took to sannyasa, did intense austerities and attained salvation.

Periodical seclusion, sadhana and satsang are thus life-giving herbs to aspirants struggling in the world. May they be saved by never neglecting these!

Teaching Stories from the Saints of IndiaThe Wisdom of the Mongoose

By Sri Swami Sivananda

“What a pity that even after attaining a human birth people waste it away in petty pursuits instead of using it to attain the great goal of life, i.e. God-Realization, and become forever supremely blessed.

“Once again I tell you: God first, the world next and yourself last. Practice this sublime precept. Peace, then, is yours. Joy,

then, is yours. Bliss, then, is yours.

“May the Lord bless you with eternal bliss, everlasting peace and spiritual illumination!”

– HH Sri Swami Sivananda

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The Transcendent Journey(Continued from Issue 34)

By Swami Jnanananda GiriIntrigued by the brahmachari’s unusual name, I wanted to find out more about it. “Vedagiri” means a mountain of revealed knowledge. This fact inspired me with awe and reverence for my new friend. It always has been my firm conviction that the name of a person is the very index of his latent tendencies, his samskaras. To follow a name’s indication correctly would help a person enact his chosen role in life for the highest good.

Vedagiri already had a fine knowledge of Hindi, Sanskrit and Malayalam, besides his mother tongue, Tamil. His excellent command over the English language made it easy for us to communicate. We were then still very young and burning with the fire of renunciation. We therefore enjoyed our thoughts and feelings to each other. Of our previous stations in life, we rarely spoke. We would only touch upon the most salient incidents that led to an inner awakening, and opened up the path to the Guru’s feet.

The Guru i s the grea t redeemer. Guru at first initiates, then guides and aids the spiritual growth of the disciple. The devotee needs only to persevere in his quest and hold firmly to the feeling of the Eternal Presence. Life would then unfold its supreme purpose. Such a keen seeker then becomes himself a veritable flame of spiritual light, a torch that shares its brightness with those who feel the need for it.

Brahmachari Vedagiri was very particular about all his habits. Truth alone was true to him. There would be no compromise in his adherence to ontology. Secular matters were kept in abeyance whenever p o s s i b l e . T h e g r e a t i d e a l o f renunciation inspired all his talk and his teachings. His theme of study was in the lone of classic Vedanta. Among the scriptures, the Brahmasutras, the Upanishads, the Bhagavan Gita, and the Vevekachudamani were some of his most favorite ones. Many of these texts he had memorized at an early age, even before joining the monastic order. Once the Brahmachariji surprised me with the Christ-Upanishad, an excellent short treatise on the hidden mystery of Jesus Christ’s advent, written by a South Indian brahmin.

Vedagiri’s spiritual inclinations rose in him during his youth. While in Bombay he used to visit the Sri Ramakrishna Mission center, close to his home. In association with the Mission’s kind swamis and brahmacharis, the young Vedagiri acquainted himself with the Indian spiritual lore in their Sanskrit originals. He remained ever grateful to those benefactors of his, whose teachings, love, and blessings provided a meaningful direction to his life.

Swami Purushottamanandaji Maharaj was very fond of the new spiritual son. During my subsequent visits to Vashishta Guha, I observed how the new one took great personal care of his Guru’s needs. Maharaj was then quite advanced in age. Vedagiri’s attention toward his Master was often with the love of a mother, as it were. Attending to the slightest wish of Gurudeva, he spent most of his time in seva. Vedagiri’s great proficiency in English prompted him to pen a life-sketch of the saint of Vashishta Guha, based on the latter’s original biography written in Malayalam. Within about two years after joining the ashram, Vedagiri became Swami Nirvedananda Puri. He was duly initiated by his august Gurudeva into the Dasanami order of sannyasins.

At the time there lived another brother disciple of Swami Swami Nirvedanandaji at the Guha. That was the young and brilliant Swami Bhumanandaji. He, too, was extremely dear to me. We three sadhus used to meet every now and then. For a lmost four years we roamed occasionally together through the dense forests of the Rishikesh and Hardwar area. In their company I relished an inner attunement and a definite state of realization. Both these swamis were of the most joyous disposition due to their closeness to God. Discussions often brought about outbursts of merriment with peals of laughter. In all those years, I deeply felt the thrill of divine friendship. I was indeed privileged to sport in the presence of Nirvedananda and Bhumananda. To me, it was as if these two were the very manifestation of my own soul.

Such friendship endures. But with the passage of time, the outer picture in this world changes constantly. Bhumanandaji left for his eternal abode. Soon thereafter the great spiritual lion of Vashishta Guha entered Mahasamadhi. My last visit to that ashram was on the occasion of the final bhandara in the sacred memory of Sri Swami Purushottamandaji Maharaj.

A year later, my own Guru attained Nirvana in his ashrama at Calcutta.External forms vanish, but with the Master present within ourselves, we both, Nirvedananda and I, began wandering in different directions. Thus my own peregrinations took me to many other parts of India. There was no correspondence, but we kept in touch with each other through the affectionate pujari of Sri Ayyappa Mandir at Hardwar.

After a lapse of many years, to be precise, some time in 1980, Swamiji came up to my little hermitage near the hill station of

Page 5Mussoorie. Thus, once again, I fully enjoyed his good company. We were then in a position to share much more of our experiences as sadhus. On my request, dear Nirveda agreed to visit again and stay with me for a while. He used to come every year around the time of Diwali, a festival that we celebrate here modestly, but always in great joy.

It is that past of the year when it is the most serene of all the seasons in the hills. Spring and summer, so full with life’s activities, are then over, the monsoon gone, the early autumn wears a crown over all achievements. Significantly alike, this was so with Swamiji, who then had attained to great spiritual heights. His wit and spontaneity were nonetheless wonderful to behold. Even while making himself a cup of tea, he was methodical, practical, and very clean. The realm of the spirit and the so-called mundane daily routine of life were lo longer viewed as being separate. There was but the merging in oneness, the awareness that All This is Brahman.

It thus easily happened that even a very serious mood quickly got tempered with humorous comments. That made certain of our retaining always a cheerful balance. Swamiji’s best jokes were the ones he made about himself. He was humble indeed. Yet, with regard to his keen sense of criticism, Swamiji surprised me once while we were reading together an interesting manuscript, “New Lives,” written by our friend, Malcolm Tillis. Nirvedanandaji mentioned to me casually that editing had become such a practice with him that even when opening the pages of a printed book at random, his sharp eyes would surely fall on a spot where there would be some kind of mistake. “Hence be careful!” said Swamiji, and he laughed and laughed.

Yet Nirvedanandaji’s heart was really drawn to the great Sanskrit scriptures that deal with the immortality of the soul. The theme of liberation in life and beyond was the source of strength in all Swamiji’s endeavors. Beside study and meditation on the soul’s

transcendence, Swamiji loved to chant the slokas in a harmony of melody and rhythm of his own.

I then suggested making a cassette recording of those inspiring texts and bhajans. After some hesitation, there followed experimentation until everything went off well. I love to recall Swamiji’s childlike enthusiasm, especially when he listened, critically of course, to his own voice. Some fine recordings were made of some portions of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, the Upanishads, Shanti Mantras, and quite a few Vedic songs – all in Sanskrit. Swamiji himself played the cymbals for correct rhythm when recording the bhajans. Nirvedanandaji even joined us in our kirtan sessions. These were mostly in the lighter mood of a joyous devotional approach to God. He always graced our prayer meetings with his flawless recitations to the great satisfaction of everyone present.

Those years prior to Swamiji’s fatal illness were my last, and perhaps the most beautiful period of association with him. He was then fully mature in Spirit. He had grown into a senior monk. Yet one could easily discern the youthful nature of his inner being.

During the remaining part of Swamiji’s life, I often received his affectionate letters. He never complained about suffering or hardship. In spite of the severe physical handicaps, his mind and spirit kept on expanding. He freely gave from his rich store of virtue and knowledge. In this way, many good souls derived the blessing of Swamiji’s grace and love.

Among the galaxy of mahatmas, Swami Nirvedanandaji lived an exemplary life dedicated to the ideals of the ancient rishis, whose revelations are timeless and ever-new.

Editor’s Note: This excerpt from the book, The Transcendent Journey, by Sri Swami Jnanananda Giri, is

number fourteen in our ongoing series.

Swami Jnanananda was given the Autobiography of a Yogi to read by his aunt while he was a young man of 23 living in Switzerland. The day he received that book was March 7, 1952 – the very day on which the great guru entered mahasamadhi. He wanted to become a disciple of Paramahansaji and wrote to him at the Mother Center in Los

Angeles. When he received the reply that the master had left the body, he decided to first make a pilgrimage to the holy land of India. He set off on foot. After many adventures in Europe and the Middle East, the young pilgrim finally

arrived in India in the fall of that same year – never again to leave that holy ground.

Forty-six years later, Swami Jnanananda wrote his thrilling spiritual autobiography which he titled, “The Transcendent Journey”, describing many of the great saints he had met and lived with during his many years as a

sadhu. This amazing book has yet to be published in English. We were fortunate to obtain a working copy from a close friend of the Swami.

On the power of the Divine Name:

“There is a popular saying that Hanuman jumped over the sea through

his faith in Rama’s name, while Rama Himself had to build a bridge.”

– Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa

Beloved Ones:

We are still here in Puri, having slept our first night under the roof of the ashram of Sri Yukteswarji, whose warm and loving presence we feel everywhere. I awaken early while the stars are still visible in the heavens. I dress and hurry to the Mandir but since it is not yet open, I take the dust of the steps and walk down to the sandy beach, along the same path that our blessed Paramguru used, to sit on the same beach where he and Master (Yoganandaji) used to sit, to meditate and wait for the dawn. As I find a lone spot, I look about me for a moment, and spy Mataji (Sri Ananda Mata) sitting at a distance from me, meditating too. How I love the hush before the dawn, that stillness filled with the expectancy of another day. Slowly a rosy glow splashes across the eastern sky and I remember Master’s prayer: “At dawn and the opening of the lotus buds, my soul flower softly opens to receive Thy light. Each petal is bathed in rays of bliss… Bless me, that with the spreading aurora I spread to all men Thy message of love.”

O, the peace and joy that bathe my soul here in the gentle stillness of early dawn, while the world is slowly rising to meet the need of the day. Here we behold the vaster ocean of the Divine within, as our gaze rises over the physical ocean before us. Soon the magnificent golden ball of warmth and life has crossed the horizon, casting a long, bright path on the blue waters. Early-morning risers enter the sea for a bath.

Mataji and I meditate long, and when we open our eyes we find little groups sitting close by, watching us. When we begin to stir they come forward and ask questions about us; some of them

remembering that we rode on an elephant the day before, others learning that we are among the first Americans to enter Jagannath Temple. They ask questions about out life, our teachings, our guru.

" March 13th – We are taken to the home of a devotee, Mohananda Brahmachari (a disciple of Balananda, mentioned in Yoganandaji’s Autobiography. Balananda took Kriya Yoga initiation from L a h i r i M a h a s a y a ) . Mohanananda Brahmachari is famed throughout India as a great lover of God. Like Sri Chaitanya, Mohanananda draws people through his devotional songs, through his intense divine love. We go to the pandal on the roof of the home, where many devotees have gathered. Those in our party are taken to seats next to the dais where the saint will sit. After a little time he enters. I pranam to him and a devotee introduces us. He asks me if I speak Bengali, and I reply in the negative. He begins to chant in a soft, sweet voice, while playing cymbals. How his songs thrill us as we enter a deep devotional state! All too soon the meditation ends and the final song is sung. As I go on meditating, suddenly I feel something placed over my head. Opening my eyes, I see this

saintly soul placing a beautiful, fragrant garland about my neck. I bow while he gives me prasad (blessed food) and then departs to visit other devotees in Calcutta. The custom here, for such saints as Mohananda and Ananda Mayi Ma, is to go from place to place, visiting the homes of certain disciples where pandals are set up so

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INDIA DREAMINGThis feature presents stories from or about India,

focusing on Her endlessly unfolding expressions of spirituality.

Notes From an Indian Travel DiaryBy Sri Sri Daya Mata

Page 7that all devotees in the area can come to receive the darshan of the holy ones.

Mohananda Brahmachari is about thirty-five or forty, with long black hair and black beard. I have heard it said many times that his followers think that in appearance he closely resembles Christ; and I notice a resemblance between his features and those of certain pictures I have seen of Christ. Everywhere he sings his songs of love to the Divine Beloved, just as Sri Chaitanya did centuries ago. We come away refreshed, having bathed in the vibrations of devotional songs to God.

April 7th – (YSS Baranagar Ashram, West Bengal). Our days in India are filled with organizational activity now, but every evening when the sun begins to set and the sky is overcast with great pink clouds, I like to take a walk. First I go down the path toward the corral where the cows are fed at dusk. Two young calves turn eagerly to greet me; they know that I am bringing to them fresh, green, tender grass which they eagerly pull from my hands. One of the mother-cows stands nearby, mooing contentedly at her young one, perhaps reminding him not to become too much attached to a stranger who one day will have to leave.

Then I walk back toward the large pond near the ashram. This evening my mind is freed from all earth-bound thoughts as I gaze skyward, feeling the vast expanse within. I shall miss these Indian skies, these quiet walks, the wonderful sense of freedom that my soul is enjoying; and as I think these thoughts tears well up in my heart and overflow into my eyes. O India, how I love you! What mysterious force in you calls forth my love? You are not always clean outwardly, your climate is not the best, your heat is unbearable, your rains are miserably uncomfortable, your creature comforts are nil as compared to the West; but you have a towering spiritual strength, and there is the tenderness of the Mother in you as you welcome all visitors to your shores. Your imperishable greatness has been expressed in the lives of your saints – Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Buddha, Chaitanya, Babaji, Lahir Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswarji, and our own divine guru Yoganandaji, as well as Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Maharishi Ramana, Aurobindo Ghosh, Swami Sivananda, Ananday Moyi Ma, and countless others who have found soul freedom through devotion to your lofty ideals.

On April 17th we drive to Rishikesh to spend a few days’ spiritual retreat at the ashram of Ananda Moyi Ma during the “Week of Self-Restraint” (self-discipline) that is being observed there. For seven days the devotees of Ananda Moyi Ma meet often for meditation and kirtan, and eat only one meal daily.

(I had met Ananda Mayi Ma in February in Dakshineswar. Her ashram there is located not from our Yogoda Math. Master wrote about this lovely spiritual flower of India, Ananda Moyi Ma,

in his Autobiography. During one of my visits to her in Dakshineswar she said to me” “With all of you who are devotees of Pitaji (Father) Yogananda, we feel as if you were from our own ashram. I have great love and respect for your Guru. I see in you the same attitude (bhava) that I saw in him.” How deeply was I touched as she spoke of her love for Yoganandaji).

Reaching Rishikesh, we turn down a narrow lane lined with trees until we come to a cluster of buildings on the bank of the Ganges. When we arrive the “Joy-Permeated Mother” is in the pandal meditating with devotees who have come from all over India. We sit in the shade outside and enter meditation; the other devotees are inside the hall.

After the meditation we are welcomed by Ananda Moyi Ma and are then taken to the room where we will stay. There we take our shower in the usual Indian manner – pouring water over ourselves with the aid of a brass cup or bowl.

There are about 200 to 300 devotees here, including many sadhus. Among them is a great lover of God, Hari Baba, famed throughout India as a Self-realized soul. He charms everyone with his special kind of kirtan in which he enters ecstasy, carrying with him all who are in tune.

In the mornings, during our brief stay in the ashram here, we arise early and meditate in our rooms and then go to the pandal for group meditation conducted by the Mother. How quiet it is when we begin to meditate! It reminds me of those blessed meditations in the presence of our divine Guru, or of the meditations we have in America, when we sit together and dive deeply within in search of the pearls of divine love and wisdom and peace.

The above selections are excerpted from Self-Realization Magazine, July – August, 1959.

Sri Daya Mata with Sri Anandamayi Ma, Varanasi, 1959

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Sharad Sangam 2010A Westerner’s Perspective

By Art Ellis

The Kingfisher Airlines flight from Kolkata to Ranchi, India, was approaching Ranchi when the pilot announced: "Because of fog , there is not enough visibility to land. We have enough fuel to circle for a half hour. If we cannot land, we will have to return to Kolkata." I fervently prayed that we would be able to land in Ranchi because Kingfisher had previously changed our last flight from Mumbai to Kolkata. My wife, Marianne, and myself had spent a sleepless night at the Kolkata airport, and we really wanted to get to our destination. It was early morning and we were headed for Ranchi where the Yogoda Satasanga Society 's annual convocation, Sharad Sangam (“Fall Gathering”), would be held.

Answered prayer – the airplane landed about 8 AM. A driver from the Hotel Green Horizon was waiting with a sign with our name written on it, and since it was Sunday morning we were at our hotel in a few minutes. We checked in, changed into Indian clothes, and caught a motor rickshaw to the YSS Ashram.

As we walked onto the ashram grounds at 9:25 AM, we were overwhelmed by a wave of high spiritual vibration. Despite being exhausted, our consciousness was immediately raised – and remained high the entire week. Marianne starting crying tears of joy. What a blessing! A friend, Craig Bell, told us that the opening program would begin in five minutes, and that we should register later. We walked to the large pandal (tent), found seats, and the program began with bhajans. The first one dedicated to our guru, Paramahansa Yogananda, touched my heart, and it was my turn to cry.

"We welcome you to Guru's ashram, this most scared of places," a swami said. The three hour opening program consisted of bhajans, an opening prayer and talks, and a message was read from Sri Daya Mata, president and Sanghamata (spiritual leader) of Yogoda Satsanga Society of India / Self-Realization Fellowship, in the west. "Concentrate at the heart and you will be guided," Daya Mata counseled. Four guideposts for living that Daya Mata emphasized were discussed: "Love, service, courage, faith." An implicit goal of the Sangam was to facilitate realizing Paramahansa Yogananda's wisdom that "Your mind must be drunk with God; this is the only way to find God." As the program ended, all of the 10 YSS swamis sitting on the raised platform individually bowed at the altar and left.

After the program we registered for the week-long event and bought meal tickets for lunches and dinners. (We would be doing our morning meditation and having breakfast at our hotel each day before going to the Ashram.) Over 1,700 devotees registered for the Sangam, with less than 100 SRF devotees coming from the west. (Swami Smaranananda, General Secretary of YSS, held a satasanga for SRF devotees on Friday, and approximately 60 attended.)

Although it was possible to have 14 hour days at the Sangam, from 7 AM-9 PM, our day was typically 12 hours. The daily schedule consisted of the Energization Exercises and meditation, breakfast, a class, a second class, lunch, a third class, tea, Energization Exercises and meditation, dinner, and an evening program.

The meditation services were extremely devotional. After an opening prayer, an arati ceremony was performed (giving love and devotion to all of the YSS/SRF line of gurus), Guruji's chant Hymn to Brahma was sang in Sanskrit, followed by meditation. Generally one chant was sung first in English and then in Hindi. The service ended with the Namo Namastestu chant that

Guruji asked that all his devotees sing at the end of each meditation:

NaMaae NaMaSTae_STau SahSa]k*/Tv: PauNaXc >aUYaae_iPa NaMaae NaMaSTae NaMa: PaurSTaadQa Pa*Z#TaSTae NaMaae_STau Tae SavRTa Wv SavR

namo namaste-stu sahasrakṛtvaḥ punaśca bhūyo-pi namo namastenamaḥ purastādatha pṛṣṭhataste namo-stu te sarvata eva sarva

I bow to Thee a thousand times.I bow to Thee on the left and on the right,In front and behind, above and beneath, within and without.I bow to Thee everywhere, for Thou art everywhere.

– Srimad Bhagavad Gita – 11:39-40

We were totally impressed with the depth in which the meditation techniques were presented by the YSS swamis. Paramahansa Yogananda developed the Energization Exercises, and YSS really emphasizes them. There were two classes of one hour each on the exercises, and we practiced them daily as a group. I've never done them before in such a large group, and it was thrilling. A swami led them on a raised platform, and other monastics and lay

The author in front of the Smriti Mandir

Page 9disciple monitors corrected individual devotees when they were doing anything incorrectly. The exercises were done slower and with more precision than we have ever experienced in SRF. Regarding the Hong Sau technique of concentration, the late Swami Bhavananda asked Sri Daya Mata why she liked the Hong Sau technique so much. Her answer: The technique "puts me in that blissful state where I can deeply meditate on God." The class on the Om technique was the deepest that we have ever heard. "Om is not a sound," said Swami Smaranananda, "Om is God." The Kriya Initiation ceremony was notable for its devotion and length. The usual three hour ceremony took five hours because of the large number of new initiates, perhaps a few hundred. Previously initiated devotees made their offerings at the end of the ceremony.

Sitting in the silence after meditation is emphasized both by SRF and YSS, but the YSS swamis added clarity and direction to this practice. Swami Smaranananda counseled that devotees should spend a minimum of 15 minutes sitting in the silence after each meditation, preferably longer. He said that this is so important that if time is short, one should sit in silence instead of doing one of the other techniques, practicing the missed technique at one's next meditation.

In addition to covering the YSS/SRF meditation techniques of Energization Exercises, Hong Sau, Om and Kriya, there were classes on God--The Pole Star of Life; Applying Guruji's Teachings in Daily Life; Purification: The Main Process and Purpose of Sadhana; Developing an Absolute and Unquestioning Faith in Guru; Living the Present Moment Completely; The Gita Ideal of Renunciation; Living Fearlessly; and the Value of a Balanced Life. Classes in three languages, were held in three locations: English in the Main Pandal, Hindi in the Maidan Pandal, and Telugu (a south Indian dialect) in the Dhyana Mandir.

Highlights From the Classes

• God becomes a reality by keeping him in your heart, by whispering to Him during activity.

• When you are of service you will be happy.

• When you are calm, angels protect you. When you react to protect yourself, the angels go away.

• Nothing can touch you if you have the love of God.

• Principles of diet and living: eat slowly, choose light satvic food, eat plenty of raw fruit and vegetables for balance, adhere to regular habits of eating and sleeping, keep the body straight, moderately practice of some sport such as walking in fresh air, and bathe daily to distribute energy.

• The three messages of the Bhagavad Gita are action, meditation and surrender.

When not in class or meditating, we walked on the immense ashram grounds and visited the mandirs and the Administration Building, where Paramahansa Yogananda's shrine, his small room, is found. His room has a picture of Guruji, little porcelain statues of Sri Yukteswar and Lahiri Mahasaya, one chair and enough floor space for perhaps five other devotees to offer their love and devotion. A sign near the entrance to this room asks

devotees to restrict their meditation to 15 minutes. A steady stream of devotees visited this shrine, and there are chairs and couches outside of it for meditating when the room was too crowded to enter.

It is amazing and even miraculous how YSS fed so many people. To stagger meal times somewhat, there was an early and later meal time depending on the color of your registration card. We stood in long lines, which was fun because many Indian devotees wanted to practice their English by talking to us. When we got to the dining pandal, we were greeted with a "Jai Guru" (meaning victory to the Guru), handed a thali plate and spoon with a "Jai Guru", and walked from large pot to large pot always being served with a "Jai Guru". At the end of the line, volunteers showed us to our table, which had just been cleaned from people eating before us and would be cleaned for those coming after us. As soon as we started eating, volunteers walked in front of our table asking is we wanted another helping. We ate as much as we wanted, left the

table, and placed our plates into large receptacles to be washed for those coming after us.

The heart-felt service that the YSS devotees provided us was inspiring. We constantly felt the outpouring of love from their hearts as they fed us, provided transportation to the hotels, and provided personal service. Although we never requested this service, it was spontaneously volunteered. We asked where we could buy a battery for Marianne's watch, and a volunteer took care of this for us. We asked where Marianne could buy an Indian outfit, and a volunteer walked us to a clothing store a few blocks from the ashram so we could shop for it. It was so inspiring to hear the greeting "Jai Guru" perhaps 50 times a day from volunteers and others.

All was not peaches and cream, however. We had challenges to deal with regarding lack of safety (both of us fell because of an exposed electrical cord, and Marianne's knee injury required medical care by a doctor at the ashram), sanitation (using communal towels since there were no paper towels or air dryers), lack of hot water, eastern toilets without toilet paper, and exposure to toxic fumes. (The ashram grounds were sprayed for mosquitoes every day, with fumes seeping into the pandals.)We had been in the YSS ashram in Ranchi 15 years ago during a spiritual pilgrimage and were mentally prepared for what we found. It was nice to return to our hotel each evening that offered all of the comforts that westerners are used to.

Sharad Sangam 2010 was a growing experience for me spiritually. Before the event, I often prayed, "Blessed Master, I want to feel Thy presence." After the event during which I felt His divine presence, my prayer had changed to, "Blessed Guruji, I want to always feel Thy presence." Marianne had attended the Sangam as a birthday present to me. Our 1995 pilgrimage to India was so fulfilling to her that she had no need to come back. But the Sangam was so spiritually rewarding to her that she is now talking about attending again!

This article is dedicated to the memory ofSri Sri Daya Mata who passed during its preparation.

Dhyana Mandir

Page 10

SAINTS & SAGESThis feature profiles the life of one of the great masters of India, creating an endless

mandala of sanctity, which is a prominent feature of Indian culture.

Sri Sri Daya MataAlthough not born on the soil of India, Sri Daya Mataji certainly qualifies as one of the great modern exponents of Indian spirituality. Making several trips there, she loved and embraced India as her own. Indeed, though through her great humility she kept as low a profile as possible while leading a worldwide religious movement, when the truth is revealed Sri Daya Mata will be known as one of the truly great saints of our modern era.

Sri Daya Mata, one of the first women in modern history to head a worldwide religious movement, a position she held for more than half a century, passed away on November 30, 2010. She was 96. A forerunner of today’s increasing acceptance of women in positions of spiritual leadership and one of the first Western women to be widely revered as a true exemplar of India’s Sanatana Dharma (eternal religion), Sri Daya Mata served as president a n d s a n g h a m a t a o f S e l f -Realization Fellowship / Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (SRF/YSS), the international non-profit religious organization founded in 1920 by the great Premavatar (Incarnation of Divine Love) and yoga master, Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda.

Among Paramahansa Yogananda’s closest and foremost d i s c i p l e s , S r i D a y a M a t a remained steadfast throughout her y e a r s a s P a r a m a h a n s a j i ’s successor in carrying out the aims and ideals he established for his society: disseminating to people of all faith traditions and walks of life methods for attaining a direct, personal relationship with the Divine; promoting the essential unity and harmony of the world’s religions; spreading a spirit of brotherhood among all peoples by teaching the basis of their unity – kinship with God; advocating cultural and spiritual understanding between East and West; and serving humankind as one’s larger Self.

A true mother of compassion, as her Sanskrit name signifies, Sri Daya Mata was known for her all-embracing concern for every individual who crossed her path, and for the world at large. Over the years, she guided and counseled thousands of people seeking spiritual direction in their lives, emphasizing the power of prayer to uplift individuals and nations. Her greatest desire was to bring others to God, and it was common to hear her urge people to

take even a little time each day to withdraw from the world, to interiorize and feel the presence of God.

“No matter what you are doing,” she said, “there is nothing to keep you from silently conversing with God. While there is yet time – while there is life, health, opportunity, and freedom to have this divine romance with God – don’t be satisfied until you feel God’s love well up within you every time you think of the Divine Name…Only that love is real. Our highest duty in life is to find that love and to awaken it in the hearts of others.”

She stood resolute in her conviction that meditation on God, and loving all as divine sparks of the one God, was the answer to the world’s suffering and inharmony. “It is not difficult to give love,” she said once during an informal talk, “because the very nature of our souls is to Love. If at times we cannot give love to others, it is because we do not find it within ourselves when our consciousness is on the surface, operating through our

senses and emotions. If we turn our consciousness within in deep meditation, communing with God – even a little bit every day – we begin gradually to experience that Love which is our real nature. Feeling love within ourselves, it is very easy to give it to others.”

“God doesn’t need us, but we desperately need God. We need Truth. We need to catch

hold of the Reality in this great ocean of unreality, and cling to that raft of Reality

until we reach safely the shores of infinite, eternal awareness of God.”

— Sri Sri Daya Mataji

Page 11 From her earliest years, Daya Mata had a deep longing to know God. At the age of eight, when she first learned about India in school, she felt a mysterious inner awakening, and with it a conviction that India held the key to the fulfillment of her life. When she returned home she told her mother that she would never marry and that she would go to India. She began to feel that something was missing from her church experiences and yearned for something more satisfying. When she was 15, she was given a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, India’s sacred scripture, which had a profound impact on her because through it she learned that God was approachable and knowable, and that His children were divine beings who, through self-effort, could realize their spiritual birthright—oneness with the Divine. It was then that Sri Daya Mata resolved that she would devote her life to seeking God.

In 1931, at the age of 17, Sri Daya Mata attended a public lecture with her mother and sister at the Hotel Newhouse in Salt Lake City. The speaker was Paramahansa Yogananda, who had been traveling across the country giving lectures and classes on the science of Yoga to capacity crowds in America’s most prestigious auditoriums. It seemed unlikely that this shy, young girl from Salt Lake City would have any opportunity to meet the Guru. However, Sri Daya Mata had long suffered from a severe blood disorder, and, while attending the great swami’s classes, attracted his attention because of the bandages covering her swollen face.

She recalled her meeting with Paramahansaji: “My whole being was absorbed in the wisdom and divine love that were pouring into my soul and flooding my heart and mind.” He asked if she believed if God could heal her. When she said yes, he touched her between the eyebrows and said to her, “From this day forward you are healed. In one week the bandages will no longer be necessary. Your scars will be gone.” It happened exactly as he predicted and she was determined to become the Yogi’s disciple. With the support of her mother, Daya Mata moved to Los Angeles and joined the Self-Realization Fellowship Monastic Order on November 19, 1931.

Her mother and sister were to later join Sri Yogananda’s monastic order, becoming known as Shyama Mata and Ananda Mata, respectively. They wholeheartedly served his work until their passing. Her brother, Richard C. Wright, became an SRF member and accompanied Paramahansa Yogananda during his travels abroad, which are chronicled in Autobiography of a Yogi. Along with her other brother, Dale Wright, both were life-long members of Self-Realization Fellowship.

During the first Christmas at Sri Daya Mata’s new home – the SRF/YSS international headquarters and ashram center atop Mt.

Washington, near Los Angeles – Paramahansaji had placed a little glass egg on the divan where he knew she would sit. When she asked him why he had put it there, he told her: “You are my nest egg. When you came, I knew many other true devotees would be drawn to this path.”

The following year, she took her final vows of renunciation, becoming one of the first nuns of the SRF Order, and thus starting what became a lifelong practice of loyalty, obedience, chastity, daily meditation, and constant service to others.

From the very beginning it became evident that

“(God) cannot be known through the senses, nor measured by the limited twelve-inch

ruler of the intellect. As often as we try to discover His bliss, love, wisdom, and joy in

sensory experiences, so often are we disappointed. But when man learns by deep meditation to still his body and shut off the five senses, a sixth sense, intuition, begins to

express itself. God can be known only through the sense of intuition. He wants us to

know Him. Hence every man is endowed with intuition.”

— Sri Sri Daya Mataji

Page 12given to him during his years of training in Sri Yukteswar’s Serampore ashram in India.

For more than 20 years, Sri Daya Mata was part of the small circle of his closest disciples, who were with him almost constantly. As his secretary, she was responsible for recording all of his talks, lectures, and classes in shorthand. She helped compile the detailed instructions on yoga meditation techniques and the art of spiritual living into lessons that to this day are printed and distributed to students of the Self-Realization Fellowship Lessons.

As the years passed, he assigned more and more responsibility to her; and in the closing period of his life, he began to speak openly to his monastic disciples of the worldwide role she was destined to play. In 1941, she became a member of the Self-Realization Fellowship / Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (SRF/YSS) Board of Directors and soon after was put in charge of the international headquarters at Mt. Wa s h i n g t o n . T h i s e n a b l e d Paramahansa Yogananda to spend more time working on his life story, which would become the spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi, as well as numerous other projects for future publication.

In the year 1955, three years after Paramahansa Yogananda’s Mahasamadhi, Sri Daya Mata s u c c e e d e d t h e l a t e R a j a r s i Janakananda as president of the society, a role she maintained until her passing. As spiritual successor to Sri Yogananda, she saw to the guidance of SRF/YSS members, the training of monastic disciples who reside in the SRF/YSS ashrams in the U.S., Germany, and India, and to the a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f t h e m a n y worldwide spiritual and humanitarian services of the organization.

Under Sri Daya Mata’s leadership, the society continued to grow. Today there are more than 600 SRF/YSS temples, meditat ion centers, and retreats in over 60 countries, a publishing division which oversees the publication of Yogananda’s works as well as those of his monastic disciples, annual classes on his teachings, retreat programs, and many other activities. She was also instrumental in expanding the charitable activities of the society and the work of the Worldwide Prayer Circle.

Among her written works are two anthologies of talks, Only Love: Living the Spiritual Life in a Changing World and Finding the Joy Within You: Personal Counsel for God-Centered Living, and two inspirational books, Enter the Quiet Heart: Cultivating a Loving Relationship With God and Intuition: Soul-Guidance for Life’s Decisions. Many of her lectures and informal talks are available in audio and video format.

“Ma,” as she was reverently known by her fellow students and disciples, spent the remaining years of her life, along with Sri Mrinalini Mata, SRF editor-in-chief and vice president, organizing

all of her notes and recorded guidance from the Guru to ensure that his instructions for the future direction of the society would be passed on to the new leadership; and helping to finish the editing and organizing of Yogananda’s most important works, including The Second Coming of Christ (his monumental commentary on the Four Gospels), and God Talks With Arjuna (his critically acclaimed translation of and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita).

Numerous dignitaries and spiritual leaders visited Sri Daya Mata over the years. One such esteemed figure was Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya Bharati Krishna Tirtha of Puri, India. His visit to SRF headquarters in Los Angeles marked the first time in the history of the ancient Swami Order that a Shankaracharya had traveled to the West. She also was the first westerner allowed to enter the sacred grounds of the Vishnupada Temple (which hold the footprints of Vishnu), in Bodh Gaya, India, a visit she made in 1959

as part of an extended trip to India to visit YSS ashrams and centers, and the first westerner to be invited to enter the ancient Jagannath Temple in Puri, India.

“Nowhere does [Paramahansa Yogananda’s] legacy shine with more radiance than in his saintly disciple Sri Daya Mata,” wrote India’s former ambassador to the United States, Dr. B i n a y R . S e n . “ B e f o r e [ S r i Yogananda’s] passing he told her, ‘When I am gone, only love can take my place.’ Those who, like myself, were pr ivi leged to have met Paramahansaji find reflected in Daya Mataji that same spirit of divine love and compassion that so impressed me on my first visit to the Self-Realization Center.”

It was Sri Daya Mata’s ability to empathize with others and to regard all as divine beings that inspired countless people from different faiths and backgrounds – from former Under-Secretary General of the United Nations C. V. Narasimhan to legendary musician and film star Elvis Presley. Though her life was given primarily to her Guru’s work, she felt all seekers of God to be a part

of her spiritual family, regardless of their faith. A Catholic Sister of Charity, after meeting Daya Mata, remarked: “For me, as a member of a religious order, Daya Mata is a shining example of what a life committed to the service of God and neighbor ought to be. She makes me think of that great forerunner of Christ, John the Baptist, who said of himself, ‘I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord.’ In her presence there are no Catholics, Protestants, or Hindus, but only children of the one Father, God. And each one of them she receives graciously and has a place for them in her heart…She radiates God.”

Jai Guru, Jai Ma!This biographical essay is based on an article by

Andrea de Michaelis and posted at:http://horizonsmagazine.com/blog/?p=11639