Letters from Retreats
with Swami Kriyananda

Letters include:

    Paramhansa Yogananda Mahasamadhi Retreat
    International Kriya Retreat in Gurgaon, India
    Sweetness, Sincerity, and Swami Kriyananda
    Swami Kriyananda's 60th Year of Discipleship
 

Paramhansa Yogananda Mahasamadhi Retreat

by Dave Warner, March 4, 2007
(from the US Ananda Web site blog)

This weekend is the annual Ananda retreat in honor of Paramhansa Yogananda's Mahasamadhi, here in Gurgaon, India. It's such a joy to practice meditation and Kriya Yoga with people from all over the world: India, America, South Africa, and nearly every European country. Seeing the harmony and love between the people here shows how easy it would be to achieve world peace if everyone meditated together!

This morning, Swami Kriyananda gave a deeply inspiring talk, beginning with a discussion of Sanatan Dharma, which he described as the truth underlying the entire universe. He continued by reading excerpts from his new book, Revelations of Christ, which explains the true teachings of Christ—Sanatan Dharma—as opposed to the 'religious' teachings of Christian churches over the centuries.

His talk is now on the Ananda website, along with other talks and classes given during the retreat.

It's especially inspiring for me to see the attitude that Indians have toward great teachers. Recently, Swami Kriyananda has been experiencing some health problems. It was questionable whether he would even be able to give the talk today.

At breakfast this morning with some Indian guests, I commented about the possibility that Swamiji, as we call him, might not be well enough to speak. One young Indian man remarked that as he was eating his breakfast, he was giving all of his strength and nourishment to Swamiji. I could see that this was a natural attitude held by many people here.

In the afternoon, there were workshops by Ananda teachers from all over the world on art, astrology, healing, and education.

The evening featured the first-ever performance in India of Swamiji's play, The Jewel in the Lotus. The setting of the play is a village in the Indian Himalayas. The themes are various aspects of the spiritual search universal to all seekers.

The actors performed it superbly, with great joy and deep feeling. Afterward, Swamiji remarked that it was the best performance of the play he had ever seen. The audience was captivated throughout.

One of the themes of the play seemed especially appropriate to modern India. It concerns the story of Romesh, a successful businessman who wants his son Narayan to join the family business. Narayan wants to dedicate his life to God. In the end, after much drama, Romesh blesses his son to go and seek God.

In my week here, I've already seen a couple of cases of young Indian men who are part of Ananda India, and whose parents are still against their child's search for God. It is certainly a universal theme, but one that seems more common in the up and coming Indian economy.
 

International Kriya Retreat in Gurgaon, India

by Dave Warner, March 12, 2007
(from the US Ananda Web site blog)

We have just finished the first Ananda International Kriya Retreat here in Gurgaon, India—three days dedicated to deepening the practice of Kriya Yoga. The retreat culminated with an extraordinary talk by Swami Kriyananda on The Role of Kriya Yoga in the World.

The entire three days was one continuous highlight of long and deep meditations, classes on Kriya Yoga, kirtan (devotional chanting), personal sharing, and two Kriya initiation ceremonies.

There were over 200 Kriya Yogis attending from all over the world, along with twelve Kriyacharyas (Kriya Yoga teachers) from Ananda communities in America, India, and Europe.

You can hear all of the discourses on the Ananda website, including the morning talks given by different Ananda kriya teachers: myself, Kirtani Stickney (spiritual director of Ananda Assisi), Yogacharya Dharmadas (spiritual director of Ananda India), and Jyotish and Devi Novak (spiritual directors of Ananda worldwide).

All of the talks were inspiring and insightful—each speaker discussed different aspects of the two main topics: Kriya Yoga: Ancient Science for Modern Times and Kriya Yoga in Your Life.

Kechari Mudra

One part of the retreat that I personally enjoyed was giving a class on Kechari Mudra, a difficult yoga technique that Paramhansa Yogananda taught as part of Kriya Yoga practice. Indians seem especially receptive to learning Kechari Mudra, and also seem able to practice it more easily.

Interestingly, several of our American kriya yogis have been able to learn kechari mudra shortly after moving to India.

My own enthusiasm for teaching Kechari stems from seeing how much it helps deepen my meditation and kriya practice. Yogananda privately urged some of his disciples to practice Kechari, and publicly referred to it in various writings and lectures. Ananda sells a wonderful guide to learning this ancient practice.

Kriya Yoga Initiations

On Saturday evening we held two Kriya initiations—one teaching the first Kriya technique, and the other teaching one of the Higher Kriya initiations taught by Yogananda. According to Yogananda, "Kriya is the greatest technique for salvation." I can honestly say that I've seen the proof of that statement many times—but it was never more obvious than this weekend.

Swami Kriyananda's Closing Talk

This talk which ended the retreat is perhaps the best talk I've ever heard on Kriya Yoga. I urge you to listen to it. I'll just share a few highlights here.

Swamiji spoke about the soul's journey back to God, and the universal nature of that journey. He said that "The scriptures are the exit signs. Kriya Yoga is that which helps you get through that exit."

He also spoke of Kriya Yoga as working with realities that are universal to all people, and that "Kriya Yoga helps you to simply take advantage of realities with which you live all the time."

Kriya Yoga has been a central part of religious traditions throughout history. Christ taught Kriya Yoga to his disciples, according to Yogananda. When Swamiji was in India in 1961, an Indian scholar named Dinanath Pundit told him of some interesting research he had done into ancient Christian traditions.

One technique taught in the Hesychast Christian tradition involves the repetition of the 'Jesus Prayer': "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me." Dinanath Pundit discovered that it was sometimes taught in conjunction with the breath, and with bringing a cool current up the spine during the inhalation, and a warm current down the spine during the exhalation.

Any Kriya Yogi would see the interesting parallel to the Kriya Yoga of Mahavatar Babaji and the Yogananda lineage.

Swamiji also described a tradition in Spain regarding Christ's last moments on the cross. It says that Christ's last breath included a specific motion of the head that is exactly the same as one of the higher kriya techniques taught by Lahiri Mahasaya. The advanced Kriya Yogi uses the technique to consciously leave the body at death.

Swamiji concluded by saying, "Remember, you have a portable temple, and that is your own body. Kriya Yoga helps us to understand that wherever we go we're on pilgrimage, because we carry that temple with us."

Whether you are a long-time Kriya Yogi, or someone who is just interested in the Path of Kriya, I urge you to listen to the entire talk.
 

Sweetness, Sincerity, and Swami Kriyananda

by Nabha Cosley, March 12, 2007
(from the US Ananda Web site blog)

Like Dave, I've enjoyed and felt blessed by my time here in India. One of the things that struck me immediately was how natural it felt to be here.

This pattern repeated itself several times in the first couple of days:

I see someone (an Indian) while I'm walking down the street. They are probably staring at me; no smile or anything friendly.

I smile and raise my hands in namaskar—a gesture like the traditional prayer gesture, with the palms held together. It means, "That which is Divine in me honors that which is Divine in you."

They break into an incredibly sweet smile and make the same gesture in return. The whole encounter is silent and has a sense of inward communion.

The Indians here have a natural sincerity and kindness that is inspiring. It's a different kind of kindness than we might tend to practice in America – one centered more in being and less in doing.

For example, think of the kindness that we practice by listening to someone with real attention and interest. This can be more meaningful to someone than giving them a present. I find this more often here, along with a clearer understanding that "people are more important than things." It may be a change in my own consciousness or a cultural difference; I'm not sure which.

Recent Meditations

Amusingly, perhaps especially so after my earlier post about joyful meditations, it has sometimes been difficult to meet even the minimum time requirements I set for my daily meditations [Addition: Though I always managed to do so]! A little counter-productive, right? To come to India on a pilgrimage and then not take enough time to go on the true pilgrimage: the journey within, towards God. Nothing to do now, I guess, but do better tomorrow (or tonight)!

Swami Kriyananda's Talks

I want to write more about my time here, later, especially about a trip to the holy town of Rishikesh. Also, the twin weekends of events, with appearances by Swami Kriyananda, were very good. That Swami was able to speak at all is remarkable considering the recent difficulties with his health. The day before one of his talks I heard that he was having trouble even putting a full sentence together.

Yet he did come to deliver two talks that first weekend—and good talks, too! He mentions some health challenges in one of them, but as a friend said, you wouldn't know it for being in the audience! He seemed really fine. So this was something that I found inspiring about the whole two weekends of programs. I think most people would have given up long ago, but Swami just keeps going, for God and Guru, with great willpower and grace.

All of the talks by Swami Kriyananda and others, from both weekends, are available online. I definitely recommend them!

Swami Kriyananda's 60th Year of Discipleship

by Dharmaraj Iyer, September 14, 2007
(from the US Ananda Web site blog)

September 12th was the 59th anniversary of the day Swami Kriyananda met Master. We celebrated it here in India as the first day of his 60th year of discipleship.

One special aspect of the day's events is that they were organized primarily by our Indian devotees.

In a sense the celebration began on Monday, because we ran a large full color ad in The Times of India, advertising the event on Wednesday the 12th. We ran a second ad on Wednesday itself.

Both ads were surprise gifts to Swami. When he discovered the ad in Monday's paper he said with a smile, "I'm a little embarrassed, but not really." When he saw Wednesday's ad, he was similarly touched.

The celebration began in the morning with a discipleship ceremony in our temple. Many devotees gathered together to renew their vows of discipleship to Master. In addition, the Life Members of the Ananda's Sevaka Order renewed their Life Vows—we are blessed to have 26 of them serving here.

After lunching at the ashram with about 80 of our closest friends, we went to the town Community Center to finish decorating and to prepare for the evening.

The event began at 5:00pm with chanting by Haridas and some of the monks. We had a capacity crowd of 400, due largely, we believe, to the Times of India ads. At 5:30 Swamiji arrived, and the choir stood up to sing.

The great news is that many Indians have joined the choir and now make up about half of the singers! We sang Invocation, Lord Most High, Walk Like a Man, and Dark Eyes. We also sang Swami's chant, Lord I am Thine, in Hindi–Prabhu Mai Tumhara. It is the first of many of his chants and songs that we hope to translate. Singing has been a wonderful way for all of us to share in the music together.

Sri D.R. Kaarthikeyan, Nirmala, and Dharmadas introduced Swamiji. Swamiji gave a powerful talk on the meaning of discipleship, including his own experience of it. He ended with an exhortation for us all to start a community in India, so that others can see the value of living in community not as an idea merely, but as a reality.

Swamiji asked Ruby and Amol to join him onstage. They described a plan to fund and build our first community here in India. Swamiji then stood and said, "I pray with all my heart that we can get something like this going soon."

He next invited his long-time friend Indu Bhan to join him for a yagya (Vedic fire ceremony). He said that they performed this ceremony together in January of 1961, repeating the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra for the whole world.

After the recitation of mantras over the flames, Swamiji returned to his seat and invited the audience to come to him to a receive a gift: his translation of the 1st chapter and part of the 2nd chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.

These translations are part of his latest project: to publish the complete Gita, containing the verses only. He left out these particular verses from the commentary, The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, because they require extensive commentary that would impede the flow of the overall book.

He gave these verses in a little booklet to each guest at the program. Peopled gathered along the walls to greet Swamiji—the line stretched almost all the way around the hall. Swamiji personally greeted each one, and each departed the stage with the booklet and a smile.

Swamiji said he was so happy with the all the aspects of the day. It was a blessed event, full of light, and a glorious beginning of Swami's sixtieth year of service to his guru, and to all the world.