1

Miscellaneous Retreat & Lecture Notes

1999-2003 NY Regional Retreat at the Xavier Center,

Morristown, NJ

2002 & 2003 Encinitas Retreat

2000 Boston Lecture Tour

Table of Contents 1999 SRF RETREAT - XAVIER CENTER IN MORRISTOWN, N.J. ......................................................................... 2

BRAHMACHARI MILES AND BRAHMACHARI TERRY...............................................................................................................2 2000 SRF RETREAT AT XAVIER CENTER, NJ .............................................................................................................. 3

BROTHER JAYANANDA AND BROTHER KAMALANANDA.......................................................................................................3 2000 WEEKEND LECTURE TOUR IN BOSTON ............................................................................................................. 4

BROTHERS DEVANANDA AND PRANAVANADA.......................................................................................................................4 -Five ways to build self-esteem: .......................................................................................................................................... 4

2001 SRF RETREAT AT XAVIER CENTER, N.J............................................................................................................. 6 BROTHER SEVANANDA AND BRAHMACHARI SIMON..............................................................................................................6

The Star Technique................................................................................................................................................................ 8 FEBRUARY 2002, ENCINITAS 7 DAY RETREAT:.......................................................................................................10

Sunday Service.....................................................................................................................................................................10 Notes from the film, “Glimpses of a Life Divine”..........................................................................................................10 Notes from a talk by Brahmachari Barbara....................................................................................................................11 Satsanga with Brother Nardananda.................................................................................................................................11

2002 SRF RETREAT AT XAVIER CENTER, N.J ...........................................................................................................12 BROTHER ATMANANDA AND BRAHMACHARI DALE.............................................................................................................12

Talk on Overcoming Nervousness:...................................................................................................................................13 Saturday Evening Satsanga:..............................................................................................................................................14

ENCINITAS RETREAT, MARCH 2003 .............................................................................................................................16 SUNDAY INSPIRATIONAL SERVICE AT ENCINITAS TEMPLE .................................................................................................16

Brahmachari Sherman:.......................................................................................................................................................16 3/12/03 EVENING SATSANGA ...................................................................................................................................................18

with Brother Ramananda, Encinitas chapel:..................................................................................................................18 2003 SRF RETREAT AT XAVIER CENTER RETREAT .............................................................................................20

SATURDAY SATSANGA ..............................................................................................................................................................20 Brahmachari David.............................................................................................................................................................20

SATURDAY SATSANGA –...........................................................................................................................................................21 Brother Bhumananda (minister at Fullerton Temple)...................................................................................................21

SUNDAY CLOSING CLASS - BRAHMACHARI DAVID:.............................................................................................................24 Ways to Practice the Presence ..........................................................................................................................................25 Introspection.........................................................................................................................................................................26

SUNDAY CLOSING CLASS - BROTHER BHUMANANDA: ........................................................................................................27

2

1999 SRF Retreat - Xavier Center in Morristown, N.J.

Brahmachari Miles and Brahmachari Terry May 28th- 30th, 1999

Br. Miles said if we could take just one thing away from this retreat, let it be this, “Effort is progress.” If we feel dry or if we seem not to be progressing on the spiritual path, remember that if we are making effort, then progress is happening, even if we fail to perceive it at the moment.

A story: A monk had been feeling discouraged in his seeming lack of progress in his meditations He was thinking that if only he could hold Master’s hand everything would be all right. As he entered the ashram, Master arrived with some other monks, but he paid no attention to the monk. Then Master entered the elevator, and just as the door was closing, he looked straight at this monk and said, “Meet me on the third floor.” Well, this monk ran up the stairs so fast that he was waiting for Master as the elevator opened. Master reached his hands out and took the monk’s hands in his.

Another story: A boy who was participating in the summer youth camp had a great longing to shake Daya Mata’s hand. When he heard that Daya Ma was coming to visit the camp he expressed this wish to his group leader who advised him that maybe an opportunity would come, but not to be too disappointed if it did not. Ma came and visited with the many participants, but the boy never had the chance to shake her hand. Before she left, pictures were taken (the picture is on frontispiece of one of her audio tapes) and just after this picture was taken, without any prompting, Ma turned to this boy, gently took both of his hands in hers and gently shook them. The boy was so happy and went around saying over and over, “There is this wonderful feeling in my heart that I never felt before!”

3

2000 SRF Retreat at Xavier Center, NJ

Brother Jayananda and Brother Kamalananda. May 26th – 28th, 2000

Albert Einstein said, “A problem cannot be solved by the same level of consciousness that created it”. We must change our consciousness in order to solve the problem.

Om technique: there was a recent newspaper article pinned to one of the bulletin boards at Mother Center about how scientists are trying to actually record the sound of deep space. The scientists theorize that it would sound like “a deep roar”! (The Aum!)

Daya Mata’s intuition: One of the monks at this retreat was in a bad mood one day. He happened to walk into a room where Daya Mata was very intent on reading something. She did not even look up when he came into the room. But suddenly she asked him, “You okay?” Ma is so sensitive that she can feel other’s feelings very easily.

Brother Jayananda said that Ma’s intuitive perception and depth of humility and compassion, as well as her strong will, are fully manifest. One time she visited his office and just casually looked at an 8 foot florescent tubing light suspended above, and asked if it was okay. Brother said, yes, he thought it was, but later got a maintenance monk to raise a ladder and check it out. The monk did, and as he gave the huge fixture a slight tug, it came down in his hand, but he caught it. Ma just intuitively knew something was wrong, and saved them from a great catastrophe.

In 1986 on the day that the Challenger spaceship was just about to blast off, some nuns were watching the countdown on TV. Ma happened to walk by and when she saw what they were watching, she asked them to turn the TV off, and she said to them, “They shouldn’t go up today, they shouldn’t go up today!” Fifteen minutes later, the Challenger blew up, just after blast off.

Brother Jayananda also related how one time a very renowned astrologer wrote to Daya Ma, requesting her time of birth, etc, so he could draw up her chart. Brother said she seemed to fill with divine power and exclaimed, "I will NOT be limited by the stars!"

Brother Jayananda told many stories about his time spent in India with Brother Bhaktananda, and related stories that Brother Bhaktananda had told his about his days with Master. One sweet story was about how Brother Bhaktananda practiced the presence of God by repeating, mentally, a short devotional phrase. At one point, he was using "I love you Master". He prayed this day and night. One time Brother B. was working in the gardens at Mother Center. Master saw him, as he drove by in a car. Master stopped the car near Brother B. and just said, "I love you too, Michael." (Brother Bhaktananda's name was Michael)

4

2000 Weekend Lecture Tour in Boston

Brothers Devananda and Pranavanada Notes from Brother Devananda’s talk on self-esteem:

(this talk was taken from the one he gave at Convocation 2000)

-Wearing (social) masks is not being true to ourselves. (Our higher Self, not the ego)

-Other people are mirrors for us to see ourselves. Look at how you react to other people to get insight into yourself.

-Five ways to build self-esteem: 1. Find a friend who supports and loves you and one you can talk to without fear of judgment or breach of confidentiality. SRF devotees have started forming support groups to help one another.

2. See the good in yourself and in others. If you focus only on the negative aspects, that is all you will see. We need to change negative thought patterns because repeated thoughts create a kind of magnetism. Tell others what you like about them.

Brother told the story of a couple who started the first two days of their vacation fighting and then not speaking to one another. Finally the wife couldn’t stand it any longer and so she asked her husband to think about qualities that he liked in her, and that she would do the same. They parted for a while to think, and when they returned, the wife told the husband how much she loved the graceful way his hands moved when he petted their dog, and how she loved his soft-spoken gentleness. The husband told the wife (who was a writer) how he loved to read her novels, and was so pleased because she always asked him for his opinion and help, and how he loved her smile. They exchanged with one another in this way, and by the time they got to the end of the lists they had forgotten all about why they even fought in the first place and they became much closer through this exchange.

3. Keep a list of your strengths. Give yourself permission to be less than perfect. Be able to acknowledge your successes, even if they are not perfect. He gave an example: Say that 27 minutes of a 30 minute meditation were unsuccessful and were spent in complete restlessness but that you had 3 minutes of peace. You should consider the entire meditation a success.

Master said “Never identify with momentary flashes of error”

The monks and nuns now each have a book in the ashram which contains pictures of each one in various stages of their life, from childhood on up and each one also has a list of strengths compiled for each one by the others.

Parents should talk about what kids do right. Don’t damage their self-esteem by always pointing out the negative. They will become how you see them if your judgments about them take root in their own consciousness.

Use affirmations, for example: “I’ll do my best”, “Next time I’ll do better”, “I am saturated with Your peace, love and joy. I radiate peace, love and joy to all.” Rotating affirmations in

5

your consciousness creates a magnetism that will draw what you think. Affirmations are good anytime, but work best just before sleep and upon awakening.

Accomplish small goals.

Look within and write down your thoughts.

(Brother did not have time to elaborate on these last two points)

Brother’s talk was very down to earth and he was very candid about his own faults. He said he had good verbal skills, but admitted he needed to learn how to listen better. He said he was working on being less critical of others. He described how he had been put in charge of Lake Shrine during a time when there was very big construction of the new temple going on and how he was feeling quite overwhelmed in trying to be in charge of so many and such expensive undertakings. He said there was even talk of removing him from this position, which would have made him feel like a failure, but then a certain lay-person came into his life, who helped him and was able to teach him things about ways to handle all these responsibilities.

6

2001 SRF Retreat at Xavier Center, N.J.

Brother Sevananda and Brahmachari Simon Brother Sevananda trains monks in Encinitas)and Brahmachari Simon is from Lake Shrine.

May 25th – 27th, 2001

Master said, “God is the endless surprise.”

Master said never think you have reached the finish line in meditation. There is no end to the levels of knowledge and joy to be obtained.

When asked to define prayer and meditation, one child from one SRF Sunday school answered very simply, “Prayer is talking to God. Meditation is listening to God.”

In defining the benefits of a spiritual retreat, Brother said that observing silence during a retreat relieves one of the ego’s need to spend the great amount of energy it usually does in thinking how to present ourselves to others. In silence, one can let go of the ego. It is good to practice looking at each individual as a soul. In silence there are no egos there to get in the way. He encouraged us all to “make your life a retreat.”

Also a retreat helps us learn to live more in the present moment.

Master said, “Understand the present moment, and you understand eternity.” (Lesson 108)

About reading Master’s writings, Brother said that Master’s thoughts have a vibration. His consciousness is behind his words. Strive to attune ourselves to his words, for they resonate on a soul level. Mrinalini Mata says she has read ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’ over 100 times, and each time she receives something new, some fresh inspiration from Master. So it is with all of Master’s writings.

Master said, “God has not to be earned. He has only to be sought.” Remember, He is already within us. It is important that we don’t try to judge where we are in our spiritual life; how far we have advanced. Whether we think we are doing well or not does not matter. Our judgment is part of the delusion of maya. We are not in a position to judge where we are. If we are making effort then we are making progress even though we may not see it. But Master sees it and he sees the process. One cannot be drawn to this path unless one is advanced to a certain point in evolution. Even the avatars, when they come back to the physical, have to take on some of the delusion and then work their way out again.

Sometimes apparent low points are actually times of great growth. Master, in the midst of a very low point in his life when he was having much trouble with restlessness during meditation, received an experience in cosmic consciousness after a touch from his guru (see the Autobiography) And then, after this supreme experience, Sri Yukteswar had him sweep the ashram balcony! As the saying goes, “After ecstasy, the laundry.” (Zen saying)

Love is not just an emotion. It is a cosmic force. The magnetic pull of God’s Love is what pulls us back to Him. The more we tune in to this stream of Love - this cosmic force - the more we are drawn back.

7

Learn to see yourself as God and Guru see you - as a divine soul - despite the flaws and being covered in delusion. God and Guru don’t care what delusion we are immersed in because they know that is what it is – delusion! When we will wake up, all delusion will be gone. It is delusion to think we are inherently flawed. In reality we are perfect. So drop the baggage of that kind of thinking so you can progress.

Write a letter to God or Master. Then put it aside and write back how you think they would respond. This helps greatly to open up the heart.

The harsh, black and white religions of this time are a product of the Dark Ages (Kali Yuga). They are a reflection of what people could understand at the time.

When doubts come:

Master said “Truth is not afraid of inquiry.” It is good to ask questions. Even Master had doubts and left his guru for a while to go to the Himalayas.

Doubts are an important stage - questioning if our previous beliefs are valid - questioning that what we are experiencing now is the ultimate reality. Thinking that way opens up one to seeking Truth. Don’t shy away from doubt. Pursue it. Ask Guru to help you understand. You will get a response. The response may not come right away, maybe not even in meditation. But experiences and circumstances will come to guide you. Wait for them, be patient for them and most importantly, be receptive to them when they come.

We are in a relationship with Guru and relationships take work. The guru-disciple relationship is no different. Human relationships go all around, up and down. So does the spiritual path. After a few years of being on the path, it is not uncommon to suddenly enter a period of dry times, doubts, and lack of the spiritual experiences that came before. There may come a huge shift. For example, one may suddenly swing from being very technique oriented, to being very focused on the heart and devotion. This is natural. It is part of the balance. It’s all part of our spiritual unfoldment and is perfectly okay.

Master said, “If you practice one millionth of the things I teach you, you will find God.”

He was not exaggerating. Your regular and continued practice will dig a little hole in the dam of your consciousness and that little hole will get bigger and bigger until the Truth pours in.

In ‘Man’s Eternal Quest’, Master talks about “thought tabloids”, which are like blocks of thought, a big chunk of thought like a package beneath a few words. That’s why he could make this statement about finding God with only the practice of one millionth of the things he teaches. It’s like that one thing, practiced diligently, will act to open up all the rest.

Law of the mind. Law of attraction: the mind is always working. We have no control over this. But we do have control over how it works. Mind is the creator. We do not realize the subtlety of it. Do not feed a bad habit with thoughts about it. Think about the opposite good habit.

Whatever you focus on, you will get more of. If you aren’t happy about conditions in your life, examine your thoughts. If you are focusing on the negative, then that is what you will get more of. It is very insidious. What to do instead:

8

Be aware of your thoughts

Ask, “Do I want more of this?”

Focus your mind on what you want.

The Star Technique (so named because it has 5 points)

This is good when trying to introspect about big/important issues. The technique may take about one hour. It gives an amazing sense of clarity to one’s thinking. It gets one down to the basics and it is very powerful. Be very honest with yourself. Write it down.

No one else will see it, so you can afford to be very honest.

Identify the issue.

What are my thoughts/perceptions about this?

What are my feelings/emotions about this?

What are my wants/needs in this situation? (internal and external)

What action can I take to fulfill my wants/needs?

How to deal with others who are upset or angry with you:

If you can’t bring love into your dealings with others, you are out of attunement. See them as souls. When they “push your buttons”, inwardly say, “Thank you Master for this gift - this opportunity to see that because this person has been able to “push my buttons”, there must be something I need to change in myself. This experience has come to me so that I can see myself.” You need to act from Love. The other person may have a problem - you may have a problem. But no matter what, you act from Love. You be the spiritual one.

If the issue is too hot, then tell the other person you would like to think about it and talk to them about it later. (buy some space and time) Use the star technique. The real issue may turn out to have nothing to do with the other person. We cannot control what other people do. But we must learn to take responsibility for ourselves…for how we are feeling and how we are reacting.

Don’t allow yourself to be pushed around by the impulses of life.

Daya Mata often begs people to “just give five minutes to God to tell Him you love Him. Just five minutes!” See how it works. You will get more of what you dwell on. Affirm that. Tell God, “I love you, Lord” and you will get it!

Master said, “There is a personal element in one’s relationship with God that is more important than the whole of Yoga.”

Master also said, “Every noble thought in your mind brings you closer to God.”

9

Don’t worry about the routine of practice of the techniques if you find you are in a deep place in meditation. If you are feeling/experiencing the presence of God, you have reached the goal of the techniques. Don’t worry then, if you haven’t gotten to them all. Stay with it - absorb that - and allow that consciousness to fully absorb you.

Having visions, hearing voices, feeling Bliss…. these are gifts….. they are a come-on from God. It is not the final contact. These gifts from Him are a part of the Divine Romance. We may have contact and then loose it. Then we wonder what happened (Br. Simon says, humorously, we may wonder “Who changed the phone number here?”) But then, often when we least expect it, Divine Grace finally comes.

About guilt - guilt is a boomerang that comes around to bring us the results we had in mind when feeling that guilt.

We are all here together in this physical world at this time in this era for a reason. It is no accident. We thought we needed or wanted the things that were to happen at this particular time.

Our number one purpose is to find God. But we also have another purpose in life….our desires will lead us to it….our karma places us where our talents/abilities/ambitions can contribute a service to others so that we can be a channel for the Divine to flow to others.

Learn to always ask yourself, “What is life asking of me this moment?”

Swami Vivekananda once remarked, “I may have to reincarnate again and again because I’ve fallen in love with mankind.”

If I have to be reborn again, how will I find this path?

A. How did you find the path in the first place this time? Did you find it or did it find you?

Footnote: “If a person, even once, really desires salvation, that desire is firmly planted in the superconscious mind; no matter how long ignored, it will germinate when favorable opportunity arises, whether in this life or in a later incarnation…. Even the mere desire for liberation ultimately leads one to liberation.” Paramahansa Yogananda

Prayer:

Prayer for others sends them energy. It is a gift to them.

Writing:

Master used to write and write. As inspiration would come to him, he would jot down his thoughts on little scraps of paper, train ticket stubs, anything handy at the moment. The monastics finally sewed large pockets inside his robes so he could always carry a steno pad with him.

10

February 2002, Encinitas 7 Day Retreat:

Master said that when we do Kriya, it is the guru that stays attuned with us.

“Kriya is the soul crying for God.” Sri Yukteswar

Learn to feel that this is what kriya is. Don’t let it become mechanical.

What you feel in meditation is the best sign of spiritual advancement, not what you see (lights) or hear (astral sounds). Try to merge into that feeling.

In Master’s Gita he says that God gave kriya to Manu - the first Adam - there was more than one Adam - perhaps many Adams. Jesus gave kriya to his apostles. Krishna gave kriya to Arjuna.

Notes from SRF Magazines on the techniques:

Brother Anandamoy said, “The Om technique attunes you to the cosmic vibration which is an inner sound heard during meditation. That is the first aspect of God that can be contacted. One cannot go immediately into Christ consciousness; one has to go first through the cosmic vibration.”

“When the gaze is fixed at the Christ center, it causes a mild pressure on the eyeballs which helps slow down the heart.”

Sunday Service –

the Brahmachari spoke of a visualization he had about how we may have a million dollars in our heart, but each time we have a little anger, or fear, or resentment, envy, etc. - it is like a tube coming out of your heart and you loose twenty thousand here and fifty thousand there, until your heart is bankrupt. It is up to use to reclaim our riches by learning to cut those heart-tubes. They don’t help us; they only impede our spiritual progress.

Notes from the film, “Glimpses of a Life Divine”:

If at this moment you could completely calm your body, your thoughts, and your emotions, you would instantly become aware of your true Self, the soul, and of your great body of the universe, throbbing with the joy of God.” -PY

Master lovingly told a disciple, “No matter how many times you fall, I will lift you up and place you on the lap of Divine Mother.”

11

2 paraphrased quotes by Dennis Weaver

“When you have that feeling of “Ah-ha”, as if a light bulb went off in your head, of recognizing a spiritual truth when you hear it, is the intellect’s acceptance of what the soul has always known.”

Footnote: “When those who are receptive hear someone speak truth, it seems so familiar. Their first reaction is “I thought so!” The mind has simply recognized a truth already known intuitively by the soul.” (The Divine Romance, pg 18)

“God realizes that we cannot reach Him from this level of consciousness, this world of delusion, this world of Maya, and so he says, ‘I will take the form of something you can understand.’ He reduces Himself down to our level - He comes in the form of a human being - a guru - in order to be able to lift us up to His level.”

Notes from a talk by Brahmachari Barbara:

One devotee said of the lessons, “It’s so wonderful! It’s like getting a letter from my guru every two weeks.”

If you are feeling down, perhaps unworthy because in some way you have slipped from the path, bring it to Master and ask him about it. In your mind, sit him down and ask him if he still loves you. You will invariably see that the guru’s love is unconditional.

The Gita says that if you can’t get to a spiritual retreat as often as you would like, consider the night to be your sanctuary and retreat.

How to deal with the world, with all the tragedies that are occurring lately?

Ask yourself if you can change things. Can you change the leaders of countries? This is Maya and it will continue on and on. The only way to really deal with things is to anchor yourself in that which is changeless.

Satsanga with Brother Nardananda Why do avatars suffer in this world?

This creation is God’s play. If you want to be in the play, you have to put on the costume.

How to handle difficult people?

Use the Peace and Harmony Prayer (see Fall 2000 SRF Magazine)

The person you are praying for benefits and also you benefit … YOU change!

Meditation acts as a buffer. Difficult situations will still come to you, but they won’t hit you with as much force.

Once you understand someone, you can begin to like them.

12

2002 SRF Retreat at Xavier Center, N.J

Brother Atmananda and Brahmachari Dale Brother Atmananda serves at Lake Shrine and Brahmachari Dale lives at Mother Center.

May 17th – 19th, 2002

There accrues great power by maintaining silence – a tremendous amount of energy is lost through thoughts and speech.

Meditation does not mean to try to “grab” God. Try to make your consciousness like a cup, empty yourself of all expectations so that God’s blessings can flow in.

Daya Ma said of Master (paraphrased), “He is like a giant jet plane that has taken off and he is sweeping us along with him by the power of his draw. As disciples of Paramahansa Yogananda, we are already liberated; all we have to do is put one foot in front of the other on the path.”

Master said that you will find God only when in your consciousness you realize the importance of finding Him.

Brother Atmananda visited the meditation group in Atlanta some years ago and had the privilege of meeting a woman who had known Master. Her name was Mary Lou. She was a “southern bell”, very outspoken and opinionated, never became a disciple, but she had a remarkable story about Master.

Back when Master was living in Encinitas, Mary Lou was on a vacation trip with her baby from her home in Atlanta to California, and she heard Master lecture in San Francisco. Later, as she traveled south and neared San Diego she remembered there was a hermitage in Encinitas and decided to try to find it and pay a visit to Master. She drove through town, but had no success in finding the hermitage, and finally decided to move on. But then a strong impulse came that she should try one more time and as she circled around town once more she felt drawn to stop the car and ask a woman for directions.

This woman happened to be pushing a baby carriage, and when Mary Lou pulled the car over, the woman told her that Master had been expecting her for dinner. Mary Lou expressed her doubt that she was the person they were looking for, but the woman was quite insistent that indeed she was. The woman reached over and picked up Mary Lou’s baby, put the baby in the carriage, and before Mary Lou knew what was happening she was being led through the doors of the hermitage and into the dining room where there were a whole lot of people and Master at the head of the table. She felt quite certain there would follow embarrassment for all when they realized she was not the person they were waiting for. There was an empty chair beside Master and he motioned for her to sit there.

He told her, “You gave me a lot of trouble. I had to work very hard to get you to turn your car around.” Later he told her that in a previous life she had been his teacher (he did not say what she had taught him). Then he told her that he would like to grant her 3 wishes.

13

Believe it or not, these were her wishes: She said she always wanted curly hair. Master said okay, and after that her hair started growing in curly and was curly for the rest of her life. She said she always wished she could wake up early in the morning and feel refreshed. Master said okay and ever after that she always did. Then she said she would like to have a million dollars. Master shook his head and said, “I think what you really want is to have enough so that you are never in want.” She agreed that was true and ever after that she was always materially comfortable.

The dinner was, in fact, in her honor and the wishes granted were in gratitude for her previous service as his teacher. (The guru never forgets a service.)

Master also told her at that time that there would be a temple in Atlanta within her own lifetime. Several years ago that temple came into being, just a few months before Mary Lou passed on.

Talk on Overcoming Nervousness:

Master said that nervousness is a world disease, the most deadly disease of all. Causes of nervousness:

1. Change. We live in a world of change. Humans love change and seek it out, not realizing it may cause even more nervousness. Look, for instance, at what we do for diversion or escape - TV, for example. Compare TV shows of today with those 20 or 30 years ago – watch an episode of ‘I Love Lucy’, for example and it will seem so slow, seem to drag because nowadays TV is so fast paced. People’s everyday schedules are packed full more and more, so it’s hard for them to ever relax. People walk around all the time with a cell phone attached to them.

2. Fear. We are constantly trying to live in the future and in the present at the same time. This causes a heavy load on us.

3. Guilt. SRF devotees in particular, have set high ideals for themselves and we let guilt come in when we don’t live up to our highest ideals.

Some people seem to thrive on nervousness and tension. Their motto is, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth over-doing.”

How to obtain physical, mental and spiritual calmness:

1. Physical calmness – regular exercise, once in a while check the body over for tension in meditation. Tense and relax body parts. Deep breathing 20/20/20 exercise, especially before Hong-Sau.

2. Mental calmness – affirm calmness. Use Master’s affirmations. (Br. quoted the one that said “I cast all mental burdens aside”) Simplify life. Make Sunday a day of spiritual renewal. Practice silence. Read spiritual books. Listen to classical music, or music that relaxes you. Music is a wonderful catalyst and may take as little as 30 seconds to help the body release endorphins.

3. Spiritual calmness – Hong-Sau. Take a retreat weekend 2-3 times per year. It doesn’t have to be a conducted retreat.

14

Homework: A planned relaxation weekend. First get plenty of rest, but don’t sleep all weekend! Let go, relax, don’t feel guilty or think you are wasting time. Watch a funny movie (the monk recommended “What About Bob”, “The Man Who Knew Too Much”, and “O Brother, Where Art Thou”) or read a good book to help erase the things you have been stressed about and put you in a good frame of mind. Go out and play – walk outside, take fresh air, breathe deeply. Practice seclusion in silence. Listen to music, read. Read Master for ½ hour each day – it will lift our consciousness. Meditation – push yourself just a little, make your meditations a little longer – but don’t try too hard or try to make it too much longer or it may cause negative feelings – just extend your meditation time a little bit.

Master said, “Calmness is the state in which we should receive all life’s experiences.”

From SRF Magazine, Summer 1997 I read: A devotee wrote of her inner experiences as she lay in a hospital, near death. She was placed on a giant wing and transported from place to place. She heard people praying for her by name. Each prayer was “received” as a white feather placed on the great white wing upholding her. In this way she was shown that prayers are substance! They uphold you.

Saturday Evening Satsanga:

Q. How to be “in the present”?

A. Practice the Presence. Use a mantram such as, “Reveal Thyself” and keep a conversation with God going mentally all day. This is very devotional and personal, and helps keep us in the present. With continued practice, this talking to God will eventually become natural all the time. Center yourself inside. You will still be aware of what is going on outside, but your awareness is coming from somewhere deep inside yourself.

Q. Did the victims of the World Trade Center have similar karmas?

A. The tapestry of karma is unique for each person, but those souls who died September 11th had consented in some way to play particular roles in a very shocking and powerful way in order to help teach a lesson. God was thus giving to the world a lesson, “WAKE UP!! You need to learn a big lesson here!” The monk said that shortly after Sept. 11th one day he had unwittingly come very close to ground zero without realizing how close he was. But as he drew near he felt something very divine, something sacred about the whole area.

Q. Why do we continue to have so many wars? Now that Kali Yuga has passed and we have entered Dwapara Yuga, shouldn’t these kinds of events be tapering off?

A. There is a transitional age between Kali and Dwapara, called sandhya (pleural, sandhis). During this time we will see the destruction of the old institutions built on the Kali Yuga consciousness. God is getting rid of the consciousness of the lower age through all this present world turmoil.

Q. I am a grown man and yet I often find myself crying. Is that okay?

A. Yes, tears are good. It is harder for men to cry because of the way they have been raised to “be a man”. Develop the ability to cry. Having a sensitive heart is a good thing.

Q. What does “deep” meditation mean?

15

A. It means that you become unaware of your surroundings because you are totally involved in what’s happening within. The feeling that gradually comes from meditation is very magnetic, a very wonderful feeling. Don’t try to compare yourself with anyone else. It may take weeks or years to attain depth in meditation.

Q. Where do souls of pets go after death? Do animals have karma?

A. Pets go to the astral world and become pets in the astral. Or they may take other animal forms (we can do that too, in the astral – we can put on different “costumes” as we wish). Animals have karma, but it is not individual karma. It is mass karma of that particular kind of animal.

Q. Are angels astral beings? Do they incarnate?

A. It depends on your definition of “angel”. Angels that make themselves known on earth are very highly evolved beings. God may sometimes use them on earth.

Q. Why was it okay with Master to eat eggs?

A. Eggs are not meat. Mahatma Gandhi made a distinction by not eating fertilized eggs.

Q. I love caffeine, but it adversely affects my meditations. What should I do?

A. Moderation is the key. Find your threshold (which is an individual thing). Find out just how much caffeine works against you and adjust accordingly.

Q. Please comment on the Catholic priest/pedophilia crisis.

A. Master explained that the vow of celibacy that priests/monastics take is based on the concept of making a choice of how one will use their sexual energy. Sexual energy can be transmuted. It is a natural lifestyle for some, but not for others. In the Catholic Church, celibacy was considered to be a sacrifice, which is not a healthy/correct attitude. They could certainly benefit by the practice of yoga to learn to transmute the energy. Then instead of being a sacrifice, it would become a choice. Pedophilia, however, goes way beyond celibacy and the causes for it need to be brought out into the light and dealt with so that healing can come.

Q. Does Lake Shrine have conducted retreats?

A. Yes, conducted retreats are now given about once per month; and will increase over time.

Q. When will we see the self-sustaining communities within SRF that Master envisioned?

A. The ashram at Encinitas was once called the “Golden World Brotherhood Community” and was an attempt at a self-sustaining community. But it never really gelled. But forming these types of communities is on the long-term agenda and they will come some day when the time is right. Informal communities do exist in Encinitas and other areas. They are the seeds that will someday become more formal communities.

16

Encinitas Retreat, March 2003

~ A story From ‘New Fables’ (Thus Spoke the Caribou) by Kurt Kauter (out of print)

~ reprinted in Self-Realization Magazine, Fall 1988:

Don’t feel that you are powerless or insignificant in effecting a change in what appear to be “overwhelming” obstacles or major crises on our planet. Everything you do or feel or think makes a difference.

“Tell me the weight of a snowflake,” a coalmouse (a small bird) asked a wild dove.

“Nothing more that nothing,” was the answer.

“In that case, I must tell you a marvelous story,” the coalmouse said. “I sat on the branch of a fir tree, close to its trunk, when it began to snow – not heavily, not in a raging blizzard – no, just like a dream, without a wind, without any violence. Since I did not have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and needles of my branch. Their number was exactly 3,741,952.

When the 3,741,953rd dropped onto the branch, nothing more than nothing as you say, the branch broke off.” Having said that, the coalmouse flew away. They dove, since Noah’s time an authority on matter, thought about the story for awhile, and finally said to herself, “Perhaps there is only one person’s voice lacking for peace to come to the world.”

Sunday Inspirational Service at Encinitas Temple

Brahmachari Sherman:

Brother Premamoy, who worked with the postulants in training in the ashram for many years, told Br. Sherman this story in 1988: He began his story by saying, “It all began exactly 44 years ago.” Before Brother came to America he lived in Slovenia (now part of Yugoslavia) and was very active in the resistance movement there during the war. On one occasion in 1944, after working ten days and nights with almost no sleep, some friends came to invite him to dinner. He knew there was no way he could stay awake and so he quickly declined the invitation, but his friends insisted that he come with them. Finally he gave in to them, but at the restaurant he was falling asleep at the table and had to drink some very strong Turkish coffee (which has the grounds in it) in order to stay awake. While at the restaurant they met a gypsy who insisted that she read Brother’s fortune using the coffee grounds in the coffee he was drinking. The gypsy made several predictions: she said that he was someone that others will listen to, that he will travel up and down the country many times, that he will travel to America someday, (Brother replied to this prediction, “No way! I hate American movies!”), and that though he was an aristocrat, he would loose everything. Then she told him, “A woman will take care of you….no maybe it’s a man…no it’s a woman.” She went on to describe this “woman” as

17

having a dark complexion with an aquiline nose and long dark hair and that she was 51 years old.

Later he casually related the gypsy’s prophecies to a friend of his, Mrs. G,. who lived in Italy. Then time passed and he forgot all about the incident.

Several years later Brother went to Venice and he met a business man who was looking for someone to transport his glassware to Milan. Brother volunteered for the job even though he was an aristocrat and did not need to work. He drove a truck delivering the glassware and made nineteen trips back and forth across the bomb-pitted roads between Venice and Milan, thus fulfilling the gypsy’s prophecy that he would “travel up and down the country many times.”

Years later he did travel to America on a boat. One day he gave a party for his fellow passengers on the ship to cheer them up, as they were traveling through bad weather and rough seas. His friend in Italy, Mrs. G., had given him a farewell gift. Believing it to be a box of chocolates, he brought the box with him to the party, thinking he would share the candy with the other passengers. But when he opened the box he was surprised to see that the gift was a book, and he quickly put it aside. The book was ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’.

Later in America Mrs. G. wrote him a letter, inquiring if he had read the book. “Well,” he thought, “I guess now I’ll have to read it.” He found the book and opened to the first page, but then quickly closed it with the thought, “I don’t want to get involved with this!”

Several months later another letter arrived from Mrs. G. and again she asked if he had read the book. “I don’t care whether or not you liked the book,” she wrote, “I just want to know your reaction to it.” Now he felt obligated to read it, if only to appease Mrs. G. Then once he began to read he could not put the book down and he finished it from cover to cover in one night. That night happened to be March 7th, 1952.

The next day he wrote a letter to Paramahansa Yogananda, not knowing that the guru had just left his body the prior evening.

After he had joined the order as a monk, Mrs. G. wrote to him again to tell him that she was very happy that the “woman” was taking good care of him.

The moral of the story: If we look back on our lives to events and things that have happened to us we will see subtle indications that Master has had his finger on our lives all along.

Brahmachari Sherman said, “Do you know why the disciples such as Daya Ma, Mrinalini Ma, Ananda Ma, were able to spend so much time in Master’s presence? It is because they had trained their minds to control their thoughts.” Master would not allow disciples to be around him if they were in a ‘mood’.

Daya Ma tells the story of when she was feeling down one day because the weather was so gloomy and cloudy, and how when she came into Master’s presence she tried to hide her mood from him by putting on a happy face. But Master knew right away what was in her mind and he quickly said to her, “Out of my presence!”

Do you think he doesn’t do this as well with us??

18

The monks perhaps had more contact with Guruji than did the nuns, because the elevator at Mother Center was across from the monk’s dining room, and when Master came down, if the monks were there he would stop and talk with them informally.

The disciples around Guruji knew well, from experience, that he could read their every thought, and he trained them on that level. Brother Anandamoy told a story of one time when Master was talking thus to a group of monks in the dining room when suddenly he turned to one monk and said, “What are you thinking about?” The monk held his head down and replied, “I’m sorry Sir, I shouldn’t have been thinking that.” Another time, the same thing happened with another monk. Master turned to him abruptly and asked, “What are you thinking about?” But this particular monk became defensive, saying, “…But I wasn’t thinking anything bad, Sir!” (He wanted to save himself from being embarrassed in front of the others). Master fired, “Don’t tell me that! I know exactly what you were thinking!” Later this monk confided to Brother Anandamoy, “When Master said that to me I got really scared.” He had experienced a little bit of Master’s power.

3/12/03 Evening Satsanga

with Brother Ramananda, Encinitas chapel:

Brother’s prayer affirmation:

Permeate me with Thy Peace

Permeate me with Thy Purity

Permeate me with Thy Love

Brother told a story about Brother Shyamananda. Brother S. was from India and was very highly advanced spiritually. After Master left India in 1936, YSS eventually became quite rundown. Then when Daya Mata made her trip to India in the late 1950’s and saw to what state it had fallen she vowed that in her lifetime she would never allow that to happen again to any of Master’s ashrams. Brother Shyamananda was very instrumental in helping Ma restore YSS, helping to put it back on firm footing, and Ma could always trust and count on him. So highly did she regard Brother S., that when he was here in America, during his last illness Daya Ma insisted on giving up her own room for him. When some of the other devotees tried to dissuade her, Ma’s reply was that Master would always give up his own room to Rajasi when he came to Encinitas to visit, and she wanted to do the same for Brother S. Ma also insisted on taking care of Brother S. all by herself, 24 hours a day. Finally though, she became worn out from trying to do it all herself, and the monks finally convinced Ma to let them do four-hour shifts at night to give her some relief. Brother Ramananda was one of those privileged to help take care of Brother Shyamananda.

Though Brother S. was bed-ridden with his illness, he had wonderful conversations with Brother R. during those 4 hour shifts, and told him many things:

19

Brother S. told him to always be loyal to the guru and support SRF. One night Brother S. was in a very elevated state and kept repeating ecstatically to Brother R., “Oh, what the techniques will do for you!! Oh, what they will do for you!!”

Another night Brother S. handed his chuddar to Brother R. and asked him to put it away in the drawer. Brother R. folded the chuddar and stuffed it into a drawer, but Brother S. noticed the hastiness of his actions and asked him to refold it more neatly. So Brother R. took the chuddar from the drawer and folded it more neatly and started to put it back in the drawer, but Brother S. stopped him again and told him just how he wanted it folded; with the ends exactly matching together and the folds matching the existing creases. Then Brother R. understood the lesson being given: If something is worth doing, then do it well.

Brother S. gave some advice to Brother R: Don’t be jealous or do anything to make others jealous. (a few weeks later I read Master’s words from ‘Journey to Self-Realization’, pg 161, “When possible, try to avoid giving anyone cause for jealousy. Go out of your way, if necessary, to create understanding.”) This advice helped Brother R. to perceive the subtle feelings of envy he had of another monk on whom Daya Ma always doted and gave extra attention. But that monk later left the ashram, left the path, and Brother R. came to realize that Ma was intuitively giving that monk as much as she could during the time he would be there. Likewise, Brother R. also sensed that there were other monastics who were perhaps envious of him because he had comparatively more contact with Daya Ma than they did. So he played it down, spoke less about it, in order to follow the advice Brother S. had given him.

Brother R. said that the Worldwide Prayer Circle was very important to Master; he considered it to be one of the most important things he did.

Brother said to keep Master always in your environment, like a bubble surrounding you. When you stay attuned with the Guru then even if you stray away a little bit this way or that way, your attunement acts like radar, and brings you back.

“Hold to the hem of Master’s robe”, Brother said.

Imagine a man who has lost his sense of smell. If a skunk were to sit next to the man, even though he wouldn’t realize it, the man would become permeated with the skunk’s scent. It’s the same with us and Master. Master permeates us always, whether we know it or not.

There was a little town in France and nearly all the townspeople worked in the rose perfume factory in town. As they worked their clothes would become permeated with the scent of roses, and when at the end of the day they all walked home together, the whole town and all the streets would become permeated with the intoxicating scent of roses.

So stay attuned with Master, that you and your whole environment become permeated with his Love.

20

2003 SRF Retreat at Xavier Center Retreat May 2003 ( - NYC Center SRF Retreat)

Saturday Satsanga

Brahmachari David Brahmachari David is from Australia and serves at Hidden Valley

The Energization Exercises take 15 minutes twice per day, which may seem like a large chunk of time out of our busy lives, but the benefit of being thus vitalized and energized actually gives us more time - we will be more efficient, we will need less sleep. There are reasons why we do them – for increased health, vitality, etc. But we must remember the primary reason for the exercises – to realize God. They are a form of pranayama.

Regarding proper asana, Master said that if our posture is incorrect we loose half the benefit of meditation. A bent spine causes points of accumulation of energy which we will feel. Keep the spine very straight - think of an imaginary hook stuck to your head and someone is pulling on it. Let the body just hang on the rod of the spine. Periodically check for tension in each muscle group.

For successful meditation we have to get interested in this activity of meditation. Do this by consciously rousing devotion. Chanting helps greatly to arouse devotion. Get focused. Let nothing else take your concentration away. Be diligent. Br. David smilingly added, “And if the mind continues to wander - if all else fails - just look at the picture of Sri Yukteswar!”

Don’t think your spiritual life is just your time in meditation. Your whole life is your spiritual life. God appreciates every little thing you do for Him. (Brother Bhumananda commented later that when he first came into the ashram he had the false notion that becoming a monk meant his meditations would automatically be real easy. Instead he found that he couldn’t meditate long at all. He was extremely restless. Since his meditations were so short, and his restlessness was so great, he would frequently walk the grounds at Mother Center. He began picking up any little bit of paper or debris that he saw - as an offering to God and guru. Brother said that this activity, performed as an offering to God, helped him greatly to feel the presence of God.)

There is a story about Narada (a great Hindu saint) who once began to be very prideful, and so the Lord told him, “I am sending you down to earth and I want you to go to a certain town and meet one of my very greatest devotees - his name is Hari. So Narada came down to earth and journeyed to the town where Hari lived. He asked a local merchant where he could find “the great saint, Hari”. The merchant replied that there were definitely no saints in the town and the only person with the name of ‘Hari’ was a simple farmer who lived on the outskirts of town. Narada walked to the farm and found Hari laboring hard in his fields. Narada asked him if he could stay a few days, and Hari graciously agreed. After dinner the first evening, Narada observed Hari closely, looking for signs of sainthood. But he was instead dismayed to witness a very tired Hari climb into bed, fold his hands in a pranam, and say, “Ram, Ram”, then lay down and fall fast asleep. Early morning came and Hari arose, pranamed and said, “Ram, Ram” and then went out into the fields to work another long day at the plow. Day after day this went on. Hari repeated his simple prayer morning and evening, but the whole rest of the day he spent laboring in the fields. Narada was not impressed, and in due course of time he returned to the

21

Lord to complain, “Lord, you sent me to a certain town to meet a great saint on earth - one of your greatest you said - but the only man named ‘Hari’ in that town was a simple farmer who spent all day working in his fields and only for a few moments in the morning and evening did he ever think of You! Surely you sent me to the wrong town for I met no great saint there.” Then the Lord spoke, “Narada, the farmer you met was indeed the great soul I spoke of. Hari has pleased Me greatly – see how hard he must labor for his keep and yet even with so much work still he finds time to think of Me twice per day!”

Always remember, God appreciates every little thing you do for Him.

Q. How can I know when something comes from God as opposed to the enemy, Satan?

A. There is no simple formula – and it’s supposed to be that way! God has set things up so that we have to decide – we have to use our God-given discrimination. God gave us reason, He gave us feeling, He gave us intuition – use them. First ask God and guru for guidance to help you make a right decision. Then proceed on a course of action. But be flexible and willing to change if you find you made a mistake. Use the wisdom thus gained for future decisions. The greatest of souls all made mistakes along the way. Just keep on getting up if you fall.

Q. How do I know when to direct my thoughts and devotion to God, as opposed to our gurus?

A. The gurus, the great ones, represent various aspects of God. Babaji, Master – devotion. Sri Yukteswar – wisdom. Jesus – forgiveness. It is easier to think of God in form. It all depends on how you feel at the moment – there is no right or wrong. Go with what feels right at that moment.

Q. I was raised as a Christian and feel guilty because I pray to Master instead of Jesus.

A. The gurus – they are all One in Spirit. There is no competition between the gurus. They don’t mind who you pray to.

Q. How can I begin to love God when I don’t know Him?

A. The techniques and devotion work together. The techniques give perception and perception gives love/devotion for God.

When we experience a hard test in life it means that the guru is saying, “This one is strong enough now to take this lesson.” Be happy that God knows you are strong enough to pass it!

All life’s situations come from God and they are for our ultimate benefit.

Saturday Satsanga –

Brother Bhumananda (minister at Fullerton Temple)

Brother Bhumananda told us during the opening class, “When you read from Master’s writings, always ask yourself, ‘What does Master want me to do with this Truth? How does it apply to

22

my own life?’” Then during the satsanga he said, “Just asking for right understanding instantly lifts you to a higher plane of consciousness.”

Q. What does gender have to do with spirituality? Is the soul one sex, or both, or neither?

A. Gender is a temporary garb. Each soul has been both male and female many times in past incarnations. Notice how some men express more feminine aspects than others – this is because they were recently a female in a previous incarnation. Likewise with some women who express more masculine aspects – they were probably a male in their last incarnation. The soul is a perfect integration of both male and female aspects – reason and feeling. Some perfect examples of this integration are Master and Daya Ma.

When Bhumananda was fairly new in the ashram, Brother Premamoy, who was in charge of training the new monks, told him he was too intellectual. So Brother said he worked on himself and now when he has a problem he always goes first to his heart (the center of feeling, feminine aspect), and secondly to his head (the center of reason, masculine aspect.)

Q. Is it wiser to pick one aspect of God to concentrate upon and stick with that one aspect?

A. Father, Mother, Friend, Beloved, Guru, are all different windows through which we can feel God. It is fine to change. Go with where your needs are. It’s hard to go against the flow of the river. If your heart is going a certain way, go with the flow of your heart. Each of us has some very deep needs. Seek there – that is the starting point. Your heart will tell you what those needs are. Each soul is completely unique. God made no two the same – and He will respond to you in the way that satisfies those deep needs.

Q. How best to help dear ones who fall prey to chronic depression?

A. The number one best way to help is through prayer. Pray, “Heavenly Father, Thou art with him. He is well.”

Encourage the person to seek professional help – even get help for yourself to be strong so you can get through the tough times that may come. Getting help from a psychologist is consistent with SRF teachings. If you break an arm, you don’t just pray, do you? God gave us doctors and medicine for a reason – they are God’s channels. Additional support is okay.

There is a story about a devotee of God who was caught in a raging flood. As the waters carried him away, he clung for life to a log and prayed and prayed to the Lord to save him. A boat came to rescue him, but he declined help and cried, “No, no, I’m waiting for the Lord to rescue me.” So the boat left. In a little while a helicopter approached, but again the man refused help, “No, no, I’m waiting for the Lord to rescue me.” Eventually the man was carried off by the swirling waters and was never seen again. When he arrived in the afterlife he asked God, “I prayed and prayed to you but you never came to rescue me. Why?” The Lord responded, “Why my child, I sent a boat and I sent a helicopter to rescue you, but you refused My help.”

Use the channels God gave us!

23

If you suffer from depression or any illness, use prayer to ask to be guided to the right person to help you. Interview them and try to feel in your heart - ask your heart, “Is this one right for me, Lord?” Ask God to work through that person to help you. In this way you are dealing with God. There is no separation between sadhana and the rest of our lives. Relate all to God.

Encourage the person who is depressed to help others. Helping others is in itself a very healing thing to do and is especially helpful in the case of depression, which may often otherwise lead to withdrawal from the world and from others. Give patience and understanding.

Don’t fall into the hole with them. Know that you can’t control the outcome. Put God first. God will take care of things. This doesn’t mean that He will change things – and that’s often the hardest thing to accept – but God has His reasons and we have only a limited perspective. God sees things from eternity. To Him, a struggle of 20, 30, 40 years, even a lifetime, is a small measure of time compared to eternity.

Q. As an SRF monk, in your role as a speaker do you feel fulfilled by speaking and ‘getting the word out’?

A. Brother responded that he feels fulfilled “by doing what Master wants”. Brother Anandamoy told the monks who are speakers, “The number one requirement to be an SRF speaker is to live the life.” Before he speaks Brother prays to his guru, “Master, I really have nothing to offer them, but if you flow through me, all will be beautiful.” Brother said that if one day he was told that he was not fit to be a speaker any more he would feel just as happy and fulfilled filing cards in the back room of an office – it’s all the same to him.

Q. If a person in a very incompatible marriage relationship breaks away, will he be karmically bound to that person?

A. If an honest and full effort has been made in the relationship, then no, the lesson has been learned. The lesson may have been simply to learn that not all relationships were meant to work out. But one must forgive. Master said both parties should try with all their hearts. Master understood that sometimes separation was for the best. But he stressed: don’t separate with hatred in your heart because that hatred will draw you back together. Ask your heart, “Have I done my best?” You must be honest with yourself. Master once asked a woman who was seeking his counsel this question, and after a few moments tears welled up and she answered, “No, I cannot say that.”

Q. Does the state of mind of a pregnant mother have an effect on the unborn child?

A. Yes, the thoughts and feelings of the mother profoundly impact the child in her womb. Even the relationship between the husband and wife has an effect. If they are loving and understanding toward one another, there is a very tender and powerful vibration present which affects the unborn child.

Q. Do mentally ill people accumulate karma due to evil ways?

A. If a person’s previous life was evil they may incarnate next time as an insane person. Insane people have no free will and thus do not accumulate karma during that life. This offers an

24

opportunity to burn off tremendous past karma so in their next life they begin with a clean slate.

Q. How can we best cope with the negative environment in the world today?

A. Tune it out. TV, movies, etc. Brother said he hasn’t watched TV in 20 years. He did see TV a little bit recently when he was visiting his mother in the hospital and he was taken aback by the lack of morals and blatant sexuality portrayed there.

Brother told a story of how one time he and another monk were caught in heavy traffic in a car on their way to one of the temples where Brother was to speak. For two hours in heavy rain they were stuck in one spot directly in front of a billboard which was an advertisement for a topless bar! Inwardly Brother thought, “Divine Mother, thanks a lot.” But during all that time he looked at the billboard for only that split second - because he chose to not look at it for the rest of the two hours.

Q. How should we make decisions about if and when to share our spiritual beliefs with others?

A. Use discrimination. Obviously, if you are with someone who is propounding their church as the ‘only way’, then better to say nothing. Usually its best to give an interested person the ‘Autobiography’. But sometimes better (for instance someone who is more scientifically minded) is ‘Science of Religion’. Another good introduction is ‘Where There is Light’.

Q. Regarding suicide:

A. Suicide is not an option. A person may think suicide will end suffering but it won’t, because though the body is gone, all the problems and issues are still there, plus now the added burden of having committed suicide which only adds to their karma. Why create more karma? We will never be given more than we can endure. But the tricky part is that is seems more than we can endure. Our problems are conquerable – we were meant to conquer them – that is why they came into our lives – to bring out the hidden strength within us.

Q. Regarding trying to open the heart:

A. Sometimes it feels like you’re trying to start a cold engine. If you can’t feel devotion, ask God to help you. Tell Him you want to love Him. Keep on. A little ember will start. Keep on keeping on. Eventually the ember becomes a blaze.

Some devotees place too much emphasis on what they receive in spiritual experiences. Brother went years receiving almost nothing in meditation – no experiences. But he knew this was his path and he didn’t let the lack of experiences influence him – he kept on. Gyanamata said, “Act rightly and in due time the right feelings of peace and joy will come.” To want to love God is to love God. There is no difference.

Sunday Closing Class - Brahmachari David:

Wherever God has placed us, there He must come. Dedicate every moment, every action to Him. When we return home to our everyday lives we may not be able to enjoy the same

25

spiritual companionship we had while on retreat, but always remember…you have God and Guru.

Maya is very strong. We must resist it. We must protect our relationship with God. He is the source of all love, all wisdom, and all creativity. As we return to our homes, now comes the challenge of incorporating the teachings into our everyday lives.

Ways to Practice the Presence Strive to have some periods of silence in your life when possible. Talking expends so much energy, much more than we know. There is a story of four Tibetan monks. One of them noticed a prayer flag flapping in the breeze. To the others he remarked, “Flag is flapping.” The second monk, a bit more observant, replied, “Wind is flapping.” The third monk, even more perceptive than the other two corrected them, “Minds are flapping.” to which the fourth monk replied, “Tongues are flapping.”

Whenever you have a spare moment, turn your mind to God. Master said, “A sure and swift way to the infinite is to keep your attention at the Christ Center.” We can always do this; when you are not able to practice Kriya and the other techniques, it is possible to keep partial attention at the Christ Center during your work, and full attention there when at rest. This doesn’t mean placing the gaze at the Christ Center, but just keeping one’s inner attention there.

Pay attention to nature, for this also is practicing the presence. Brother Lawrence once saw a tree in the winter, stripped of its leaves, and as he thought about how within a little time the leaves would be renewed, and after that the flowers and fruit would appear, suddenly he was overcome by a vision - the power of God was with him, and he was blessed with a love for God which never left his soul. Pay attention to the life force in your body. Pay attention to the god in your friends. Brother Lawrence used to live in the world as if there were no one else but he and God. Practicing the presence is powerful! Think of it - Brother Lawrence’s only spiritual practice was practicing the presence.

Ask for the guru’s guidance in everything you do.

One of the most common methods for practicing the presence is by repetition of a mantra or phrase. It may be especially powerful by repeating it musically as a chant. Repeating a mantra starts a rhythm going which, when practiced regularly, eventually becomes self-perpetuating.

Br. David told a story about how Brother Bhaktananda used to chant inwardly all day long, “I love you Master.” Then one day after about a year of chanting this, Master came over to Brother in the gardens at Encinitas and whispered sweetly, “I love you, too.”

This story so impressed Br. David that he started using the mantra, “Guruji, I love you.” But he felt a little sad because he knew that Master, having left the body, could never respond to him in the same way he had with Brother Bhaktananda.

Time went by, and he persisted with this mantra wholeheartedly. Then after a visit with family in Australia, as he was waiting at the Sydney airport to catch his flight back to the U.S., he thought, “This is a good time to use my mantra”, and he began to chant inwardly. After some

26

time he noticed a little girl coming toward him and the next thing he knew the youngster climbed up on the chair next to him, leaned over, and whispered in his ear, “I love you.” Br. David was quite charmed by this little girl and he replied to her, “I love you, too.” She told him her name was “Lizzy”. Just then Lizzy’s mother came to retrieve her, apologized to Brother for the bother, and escorted Lizzy back to their seats, some 50 yards away in the airport. But pretty soon Lizzy was back again, and once again she climbed up on the chair next to him, put her arms around his neck and whispered, “I love you, I love you, I love you!” Soon the mother came to reclaim Lizzy again, and repeatedly apologized for the trouble. But in a little while Lizzy was back again for the third time, hugging Br. David and saying over and over, “I love you, I love you, I love you!!”

Suddenly Br. David realized what was happening. He recalled the sadness he had felt in thinking he would never get a direct response from Master, and he realized that the guru was responding to his devotion through this little girl. God can work through many channels.

Introspection Always keep in mind why we need to make beneficial changes in our lives. Begin with introspection.

One time a Sunday school teacher was instructing her students how to pray and she said to the class, “What’s the first thing we need to do to pray for forgiveness”, to which one little boy piped up, “Sin!”

Many people are stagnating in life because they see no need for introspection. Their reluctance is because that kind of deep personal introspection brings to light the many flaws in one’s nature. It makes us realize just how far we are from perfection, and so we tend to avoid looking at ourselves this way. But introspection is the “map” we need to use if we want to reach our destination. We have to keep looking at that map in order to get there – if we get lost we have to pull out the map of introspection – it’s a lifelong thing. Throughout the day learn to use this introspective map. If for instance, we seem to encounter negativity from others, we need to analyze ourselves and ask ourselves, “What am I doing to arouse these negative reactions in others?”

A minister once noticed a group of boys huddled together in a circle. He became curious and when he drew closer he saw they were gathered around a little puppy dog. “What are you doing, boys?” asked the minister. One boy answered, “We’re taking turns telling lies and the one who can tell the biggest lie gets to keep the puppy dog.” The minister was taken aback, quite aghast, and he admonished them, “Why you should be ashamed of yourselves, telling lies. When I was your age I would never have thought to tell a lie!” That said, one boy picked up the puppy and handed it to the minister and replied, “Here mister, you win!”

We need to look at our activities to determine if they are in line with our goal. Be very careful what you choose to do. There are a myriad of distractions that can take us away from our path. Television, computers, movies, newspapers, etc. Before you embark on any endeavor ask, “Am I going closer to God through this action?”

Have a big end-of-the-month introspection and if you see you haven’t changed as much as you had hoped, use your willpower to make the changes happen. You may get worn out. It may seem too hard to go against old ingrained habits. We must realize that willpower is the secret to

27

success. You create your destiny through all your thoughts and actions. Decide not to yield to the dictatorship, the compulsion of past bad habits. They are an invisible prison and we must break out of the jail of bad habits. We are divine. Master said, “It is easier to find God then to become rich.”

If your attempts fail it may be because the goals you have set are too vague. Get very specific about the changes you want to make in yourself.

Be reasonable in your expectations for yourself. If you set the goals too high you may be setting yourself up for failure. Always remember the goal – God realization.

Sometimes we assume the wrong attitude - one of being ashamed to seek God. But remember that if in the past we did wrong it is because God made delusion so strong. In a way He is to blame. Master once told a disciple, “God doesn’t mind our mistakes. He minds our indifference.”

Learn to cultivate zeal in your spiritual life. In the beginning we may have very strong feelings of attraction for this path. Br. David said when he first came to this path he had many wonderful spiritual experiences. Everything seemed wonderful, easy. It is common for the guru to give us certain experiences in the beginning, a little taste of what we are working towards. But then those experiences stop, no more, and this is the guru saying, “I’ve given you a taste of spiritual sweetness and now you must work for it.” You must work for spiritual growth.

God is the source of Joy. If it seems that your lifestyle is being restricted by following this path, remind yourself that those restrictions are not depriving you of anything of value. It’s all excess baggage. Think of the caterpillar that encloses itself in a cocoon – binding itself up so it can’t even move! But the result is a transformation into a beautiful butterfly, flying free. It’s the same with us – the discipline, the seeming restrictions will transform our lives in the same beautiful way.

Sunday Closing Class - Brother Bhumananda: Brother said that he also once had an experience of Master’s response, though not as impressive as that of Br. David’s story about Lizzy. He’d had a really rough day while at Mother Center and at the end of the day as he was walking by the main gate he noticed an old abandoned car parked on the side of the street. On it was a bumper sticker that read, “Remember who loves ya, baby!”

Brother answered more satsanga questions:

Q. How can we make sense of the lack of peace in the world?

A. Just as we need to look for the cause of illness on a cellular level, so must we look at the ills of the world on a ‘cellular’ level. Politics and political solutions do have a place, but they are very limited because they only treat the symptoms and not the cause. We have to look deeper, to how people are living, to the basic laws of behavior, the ten commandments. Basic principles

28

– honesty, for example - corporate scandals are caused by individual greed and lack of honesty. The resulting pain and suffering will be on an individual, national, and world level.

What can we do as devotees? Master said that one moon gives more light than all the stars.

One God-seeking soul gives more light than all the ones who are not seeking God. As Kriya yogis, our impact is far more than we realize. Environmental disturbances such as tornadoes (there had just been numerous tornadoes in the past few days in the Midwest) are due to imbalances in mass thought – the accumulated thoughts of all individuals.

Brother related an incident that happened about ten years ago. He came into the kitchen at Mount Washington and saw a young monk who was looking very ‘down and out’. Brother spent a little time talking to him, encouraging him on the path, and then eventually left the kitchen, thinking nothing of it. But years la ter that monk told Brother what an impact that little conversation had been upon his life. He had in fact been thinking about leaving the ashram at that time, but Brother Bhumananda’s simple act of caring, that little time given, had made all the difference to this monk and had helped him to find the strength to stick it out through that difficult time.

Daya Ma says that this difficult time in our world history will end. It is just a clearing out of all the junk. Seek God. That is your biggest contribution to the world.

Q. If we pray for help for the world, aren’t we just feeding into this delusional world?

A. While we are in the dream, it is not a dream. If you are hit over your dream head with a dream bat you will feel a dream pain that feels pretty real! But if we can make the dream a nicer dream for others, why not do so? In Master’s last days he relived his life, as if it had been a beautiful dream that he wanted to remember. Make your life and those of others a beautiful dream, and those memories will be yours forever.

Q. Should we have a particular format for talking to God?

A. Just ask your heart. The child doesn’t think, “How shall I talk to my mommy?” He just goes to her, full of love.

Q. Is surrender the same as accepting?

A. They aren’t quite the same thing. Don’t be accepting of your lower self. Spiritual truths are absorbed with soul, not just heard and interpreted by the mind.

If you really want God you can have him in this very life. But you have to get rid of bad habits. Cry to God. Tell Him, “Help me reach for the highest.” Surrender means you don’t accept the limitations. But do surrender the results of your efforts. Surrender the fruits of all your actions to God. It’s not always easy – it’s a tug of war between good and evil. To go the way of the Guru takes tremendous willpower.

It is easy when you have one star to guide your life – God. The initial enthusiasm you felt when you found the path – don’t let it fade. You have to feed it. Be ruthless.

29

Brother saw a Western movie one time and there was a scene of villains chasing a train. The heroes on the train were trying to outrace them in order to reach the town and warn the townspeople, but they were fast running out of coal to stoke the fire for the train. So they grabbed some axes and started chopping at the train, using the wood as fuel. By the time they reached town, there was nothing left of the train! In a sense, we are the same. We must use every bit of strength and power we have to get to our destination.

Q. How can we cultivate magnetic force?

A. There is a law of divine magnetism, of spiritual momentum. It is spoken of in the Bible:

“For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.” (Mark 4:25) Keep meditating. Keep striving, and the striving becomes easier with time. But if you give up it becomes very difficult.

Keep making the effort and someday you will shatter God’s test. Harness the love of God. Don’t make it too complicated. The simple, deliberate acts are what work, little things.

Brother said he even asks Master to help him when he ties his shoes. He keeps a picture of the guru in his room and each time he enters the room he bows to the picture and inwardly says, “I love you Guruji.” Brother commented, “In my room, I don’t live alone.”

This relationship with God, with the Guru, is much closer than any other relationship, even husband and wife. Work on that personal relationship with God.

Some years ago Brother said he became very ill and for several weeks he was in much discomfort, much pain. Then one day in the washing room his pain suddenly increased twenty-fold and he couldn’t take it any longer and he broke down and started crying, “Master, this is too much. You’re asking too much of me!” Instantly, he said, there was a tremendous response from God and guru, and he knew there is no suffering. Brother said he would not trade that experience for anything in the world.