Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Venerating Mahavatar Babaji on His Day 30 November 2011

Today, November 30, is the day when Mahavatar Babaji is venerated in remembrance of the day when he promised to stay on Earth in his body teaching mankind through a certain cycle of time. Swami Vishwananda tells us in the Interview below that Babaji has been here in His present body for 5,000 years. (Swamini Vishwalakshmianandama venerates Mahavatar Babaji in the E-Card)
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Sri Swami Vishwananda with the “authentic picture” of Babaji on the left


SRI SWAMI VISHWANANDA INTERVIEW IN VERONA RECENTLY (2011)

Q: Is your Guru Mahavatar Babaji?

Guruji Sri Swami Vishwananda: Yes.

Q: Who is Babaji?

Guruji: Babaji is a great ascetic, indeed a Yogi, who lives in the Himalayas, and is still living. He manifested himself 5 thousand years ago. He has been called here to be the Guru of Gurus.

Q: Have you personally met Mahavatar Babaji?

Guruji: Yes

Q: Can you meet Him whenever you want to see him?

Guruji: Yes

Q: Can you describe Mahavatar Babaji physically?
An authentic picture of Mahavatar Babaji Sri Swami Vishwananda recently released publicly

Guruji: Babaji is about 1 meter 90 tall, thin and with long black hair which touches the back of his knees. His beautiful clear skin is always perfectly shaved [or smooth]. Mahavatar Babaji is very quiet and gentle; above all He is very, very humble and full of love.


Q: Did Mahavatar Babaji first contact you or did you contact Him?

Guruji:
He was the first to contact me because this is the tradition. We say that the Guru is always looking for  his disciples.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Happy News from SPN

Last night (Monday November 28, 2011), Swami Vishwananda asked residents of SPN to come to the Bhajan Café where he showed pictures from his recent India Pilgrimage. Swami spoke about the visit to India and an impression of the deep spirituality of this journey was felt by everyone.

Later Swami played the new "Bhakti-Memo" game with Pritala. His joy in playing the game could be heard throughout the room.

Spirit of Christ Christmas Bhakti Marga 2011


“The birth of Christ is something very mystical, because Christ renews his birth every year whenever we celebrate it in the heart of man."

Sri Swami Vishwananda

This Christmas package of spiritual items may assist us in attuning to the spirit of Christ within.

Every year, in all the world, we celebrate Christmas together, the birth of Jesus Christ, the one who came to redeem mankind, the Great Master who is an example of humanness, compassion and devotion. Swami says that in Mauritius [Swami’s birth home place] that Christmas is not only a feast for Christians, but is celebrated by members of all religions: “The birth of Christ is something very mystical, because Christ renews his birth every year whenever we celebrate it in the heart of man."

When we try to connect with God, Christ and the great Masters during Christmas time, we create a strong foundation for the New Year. Christmas creates in our hearts a lasting landmark of love, so that we recognize that we are all children of the One God.

For this year’s Christmas we have put together a package, which is meant to help us to find that inner Christmas in our hearts. The package contains a rose quartz heart and a bee’s wax candle, which have been blessed by Swami and are a reminder of Jesus’ light and love. With the light of the candle, blessed by Swami, we can light all candles of the coming year. The incense included symbolizes the gifts of frankincense and myrrh of the three Holy Kings. And on the new Christmas DVD included, Swami shares his thoughts on Christmas and its meaning.

The proceeds of 29 Euros, (plus postage) per packet, will go entirely into the renovation project of the Bhakti Marga Center “Shree Peetha Nilays” in Springen. The Christmas package can be ordered on line at www.bhaktishop.de and also via email:daya@bhaktimarga.org)

We wish you a very Merry Christmas, much light and blessings.

Paartha and Naamdev
On behalf of the Bhakti Marga Team.

FRIENDS OF BHAKTI MARGA receive a discount of 10%.
Those interested in joining Friends of Bhakti Marga, please send an email to tusti@bhaktimarga.org

Monday, November 28, 2011

Where is the Drop and Where is the Ocean?

"Where is the drop and where is the Ocean?"

Click on Image to Enlarge

Sunday, November 27, 2011

This is Bhakti - A Bhakta You Become

THIS IS BHAKTI
By Sri Swami Vishwananda

Isn’t it beautiful to sing the name of Narayana?
Let yourself be drawn into it.
Such is the greatness of the name of God,
Whoever is singing with an open heart, whoever
is singing the name of God with faith, will be
pulled more inside of it.

See, the more you go into it, the more you lose
yourself in this Divine name.
The identity of being human disappears.
Then what stays is only the Divine
and that is what you really are.
If we remove the body, who are you?
The soul, isn’t it?

We are the soul with a stain on it.
The stain is in the mind.
However, by signing the name of God;
any aspect, Krishna, Jesus, Allah, one
begins to remove these stains.
But it has to be sung with devotion and love.

It is nice when you join together and sing
the name of God.
It creates a vibration,
an urge to merge with God.
That’s why it is very important
wherever you are, find a few
people and sing.

If you don’t know how to sing,
just recite His names.
While you are reciting, picture
the form in your mind.
Keep concentrating on the form
and let yourself go.
Let yourself merge into the Divine energy.
And enjoy it!

Remove all the darkness and barriers
from the mind – jump in.
This is BHAKTI!

Sri Swami Vishwananda

A Bhakta You Become

Three coins in a fountain may
Grant you three wishes,
Or so it is said.

One remembers the thriune of the three wise men,
Who came to Jesus, the Christ, that night of nights…
Back then when a great light came to Earth
As a bright star was observed in the Heavens.

"Run for your lives," the masses say,
As they strive for their daily bread.
How can life be equal
And God be loving and fair,
When rich and poor and happy and sad,
Some terrified by war
And some wallowing in wealth and power
Live side-by-side in this illusionary world?

The three wise men might say:
Cover your eyes and ears to that called illusion
And look to the heart instead.
For many lives we all have lived:
We have been rich and poor,
Lovely and not so fair,
Powerful and down and out,
Penniless even…
Lying in the gutter of human embodiment,
One life a rich man we become,
The next a pauper’s son,
Then perhaps even a lordly king or two
Wearing the royal purple robe.
Entitlement is the name of that game.


What have we attained in the end?
Only the love we have embodied and given,
And God, through Grace,
If we have attained Him by the end!
As Satguru Sri Swami Vishwananda says:
"When one has God, one has everything!"
None of the illusionary world do we take with us…
When from this world we go.

We teach our children as we live the example
And not from what we tell them is so.
Our children walk the same path as everyone,
They learn and live life as they go!


Life is like a lemon tree.
If life showers us with sour lemons,
Then with God’s Grace,
Let us accept God’s gift of the lemons
And let us make the sweetest of all lemonades
While upon this Earth of man.
Than a Bhakta you become!

Swami Vishwalakshmiananda

NARAYANA HARI OM Sung by Sri Swami Vishwananda

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Swami Speaks of his Satguru Mahavatar Babaji

Sri Swami Vishwananda said as he addressed a group of devotees: "You know about Mahavatar Babaji? How many of you know Him? Babaji is a Master in India. Actually He is about 5,000 years old, still alive. Because He is my Satguru, I can tell you something. Of course, here is just a picture, a drawing [picture of Babaji on altar at the time Swami was saying this and NOT the one of Babaji depicted above]. He looks very strict! Actually, I tell you, He is such an expression of Love that it’s difficult with words to express it. Even the word "Love" is limited to express His Love. Mahavatar Babaji said to me once: If He achieved that, everybody can!"

Since Swami said the above, Mahavatar Babaji has allowed an authentic, actual picture of Him to be brought into the public domain. In the picture of Sri Swami Vishwananda above, you see this picture of Babaji to the right of Swami. Below you may view a video of the authentic picture of Mahavatar Babaji with meditation..

Meditation With Authentic Picture of Mahavatar Babaji

Friday, November 25, 2011

Guru the Beloved

There is a verse that says:

Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshvarah
Guru Shakshat Param Brahma
Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha

Meaning of this Verse: The Guru is the Creator, the Protector and the Destroyer of ignorance. Being Param Brahma and being the incarnation of God manifested through the Guru, the Guru helps each one until one reaches the Self, until one reaches the inner Guru.

Sri Swami Vishwananda

GURU’S MANIFESTED HOLY ASH

An urn carries sacred ash of the Guru
Spun by his human hand,
Brought forth from the depths of his soul,
The essence of his Self,
No beginning–No Birthday–No end.

His devotees gather to partake
Of the Ash—the bounty of his wisdom.
The Guru’s Ash conveys the meaning
Of life, the everlasting Truth
Which is this. . .
Love is All There Is—the Divine.

Fish do not know the wisdom
Of the Guru’s Ash—
That they are One with the All.
In total unawareness,
They don’t know that they are fish
Swimming through God.

Humans strive lifetime after lifetime,
Even a million or more,
To reach the truth that lies within
The wisdom of the Ash.

All material things, be it Guru’s body
Or the Ash of wisdom he conveys,
Eventually return to the eternal —
“Dust thou art, and to dust
Thou shalt return."
But the Truth of the Guru’s Ash
Stands as a sentinel of the Divine —
Like an urn full of water poured from the
Guru’s hand into the tranquil, celestial
Himalayan Lake Manasarovar,
Sending ripples of Love
To the shores of the Divine.

Swamini Vishwalakshmianandama

Note: In the Hindu Tradition, Lake Manasarovar represents the human mind.

Om Swami Om

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Love's Pearls of Wisdom by Mahavatar Babaji 24 November 2011

Once upon a time long ago” begins many olden-days Fairy Tales. “And they lived happily ever after” is how most end. Children learn this very quickly and can begin and end the story with the reader. Henceforth, we have the term “fairy tale.” In reality, “Once upon a time long ago” man came upon this planet to learn the truth of the Self which the Divine placed like a jewel waiting to be discovered within the heart of humanity. Wise ones of you enjoy the fairy tales but know that they mimic experiences of the material world desires, hopes and dreams. It is time for the dreamer to wake up to the Greater Reality within the heart and to “Live happily ever after” in the present moment. Do this now.

I send to all of you my Love and Blessings

Mahavatar Babaji

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Seven Temples of Vrindavan

Sri Swami Vishwananda and his group will spend the last days of his current visit to India in Vrindavan, Krishna's City 23.26 November 2011

THE SEVEN TEMPLES OF VRINDAVANA PART I


THE SEVEN TEMPLES OF VRINDAVANA PART II

I LOST MY HEART IN VRINDAVAN

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Seeing or Being Blind is up to You

Inside, a voice is calling you to be free. Life is the most beautiful thing that God has given you. Don´t waste it. At the end, when life is departing this body and you look back you may say: “Oh my God, I have missed so many choices, so many chances God has sent to me. My mind has been ruled by so many mistakes. I made myself blind.” Why do I say, I make myself blind? The choice to be blind or to see is up to you. How does one do that? Do you do your sadhana every day? Do you, or not? How many among you do your sadhana regularly and I mean every day? You see, the spiritual sadhana helps you to free the mind and it helps you not to get entangled into this limitation.

Once a student went to his Guru and said: “Master, I am troubled.” The master stood right in front of him and came very near to his face, like this microphone, and said: “Why do you hang on the illusion? You know, whatever is in this mind is an illusion, why do you hang on that? You know very well that deep inside of you only God resides. Why don´t you find joy inside of this?” Then the master said: “My dear child, recite for 24 hours, nonstop, your Guru mantra and meditate intensely for 4 hours and you will conquer the mind.” Of course the grace of the Guru was there.
The grace of God is with you.

When I tell you to chant the name of God 24 hours, you ask: “What if I sleep?” How can we chant when we are sleeping? But that is the secret of mantra japa,. The more you train yourself by chanting throughout the day the name of God, the more you train yourself in reciting continuously in every action to remember the Divine, the more it will become automatic. Then even when you sleep, you will carry on chanting and you will carry on singing the Divine names. And practice your spiritual sadhana, because your spiritual practice is like a shield, like an armor, that has been given to you to protect you. And when you are protected you don´t need to fear anything. But if you have been given an armor, you put it in a wardrobe. Then when you have many enemies attacking you, how will you protect yourself? Tell me, would you be protected? No. So why put the armor inside a wardrobe! Wear it (chant the mantra continuously as your armor) and be disciplined about it, self-discipline.

Sri Swami Vishwananda "Gurudev Namo"
(I'm Coming Home)

Monday, November 21, 2011

Wisdom of Love Mahavatar Babaji 21.11.2011

Click on Image to Enlarge

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Journey to the Atma

Long before you come here [to Earth], it’s already said where you have to be, who will be your guide and when it will be that God makes everything possible for you to achieve Him. Actually, you can say it is you, but it is not you at all. It is only Him, because in the core of everything, your Atma is only Him.

Swami Vishwananda

AJNA The Third Eye
Ajna is the eye of intuition. When something is seen in the mind’s eye or in a dream, it is being 'seen' by Ajna. The Ajna is a bridge that links Gurus with disciples, allowing mind communication to occur between them. The sense and action associated with Ajna is the mind.

Hindus believe that spiritual energy from the external environments enters their body through this gateway and hence take action in protecting it with spiritually positive protecting forces. The various marks one sees on the foreheads of men and women belonging to the Hindu faith (like holy ash, vermilion etc.) are thus the blessed spiritual prasadam of their respective form of the Hindu gods. (Our own Sri Swami Vishwananda wears the identifying mark, or tilak, of Lord Vishnu seen at the Ajna in the picture above.)

Meditation upon Ajna, which takes one to the heart, the atma, the soul has the potential to grant the spiritual power of omniscience and to Realize Unity with the Divine.

JOURNEY TO THE ATMA

“From rags to riches” is a dream come true.
Still, this dream is from the depths of hell one comes
And goes in this frame of mind.
How is that?

The material world is filled with traps
That are stimulated from mind to mind
In this world of Illusion and Illumination.
The “I” of the mind and Illusional, material world
And the “I” of illumination, the Atma, the soul.
Residing like a box within a box.
This is like RIP:
Rest In Peace . . .
After the body goes to its reward--
“Ashes to ashes and dust to dust,”
And the spiritual body goes onward to its reward!

Each decides whether he will lay
Up his treasures in this illusionary world with gold
Or the Lord’s Way . . . that is . . .
To trust and have faith in the spiritually magnificent,
Sacred hereafter dimensions of Love!

So when the mind-storms of life
Come your way, go to the center
Of the life story, the eye of the
Storm where calmness resides.
Go to the Ajna chakra, the third eye.
As you enter in it takes you to
The heart of you, the real you
Where peace and trust and
Faith in the Divine is alive
Forevermore.
The mind is controlled herein
And calm and harmony bring
Real happiness to the one
Who travels to the Atma,
The Divine within.

Swamini Vishwalakshmianandama

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Thinking of Changing Someone's Mind is Completely Wrong

Know that God is beyond everything and that He loves everybody equally. It’s not upon anybody to go and try to change somebody’s mind, saying “My way is right, your way is wrong.” Thinking like this is completely wrong. We say we have only one God, but we adore Him in His many forms until we reach a point to see this Oneness everywhere. The life story of Tulsidas or any Self-Realised saint is beyond the comprehension of the mind, because they live completely in God. And they are calling everybody to live completely in God, to live in the Love of God and to know that God is everywhere: God is present in everybody.

First we see the duality, the separation, and through that separation, God unites us and makes us one with Him. He makes us Realize His Divinity, then we stop talking about Him and we become completely quiet. As long as we have not found God, as long as we have not come to the point of God-Realization, Self-Realization, we should never lose hope, we should never let go of God´s Name, we should never let go of whatever we are doing. One has to completely surrender to one´s path and, whatever obstructions or obstacles come on the way, one has to always say “No” to them. Your aim is to have God-Realization, Self-Realization. Until you have reached your aim, until you have come to the point of complete trust and faith in yourself and in God, keep trying! Don’t let anything come in the way.

GURU DEVA Sri Swami Vishwananda
GURU DEVA

Friday, November 18, 2011

Comprehension of Love through Consciousness

Love resides inside every person. The mind can perceive the love with form but cannot comprehend love without form, the mind thinks in images. The mind wants to quickly understand everything. To comprehend love without form the consciousness is needed. The consciousness has to awaken to perceive this love. When you have touched this love inside, you start to become this love. God reveals Himself to you and His qualities reveal themselves to you. You start vibrating these qualities.

SO MANY QUESTIONS IN OUR MINDS CONCERNING LOVING GOD
[There are] so many questions in our minds concerning loving God. Often we ask the question: "Why can’t we just love God?"Actually, to love God is the most simple thing you can do. But, yet, the mind always asks questions. There is such love that you just love without really knowing why you are loving, and in such love, you are loving God. To love God you don’t need to understand God with the mind.


Thursday, November 17, 2011

Love's Pearls of Wisdom by Mahavatar Babaji 17/11/2011


LOVE'S PEARLS OF WISDOM
by
Mahavatar Babaji

Radiant sunshine shines on all alike, so it is written; and so it is. Let be known unto man that when your time comes to stand in the radiance of the Divine with pure knowledge, you will radiate this same light like the sun, a golden energy that is the real you within.

Stars shine their silvery light and have the potential to awaken your inner light to the knowledge that all lives and has Being within the Cosmic Heart of the Divine. Search for this knowledge and this Love which IS the hidden treasure given from the world beyond, residing within the Heart of You.

Mahavatar Babaji

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Helping Animals - Sri Swami Vishwananda

Link to Part Two of Swami Vishwananda's current trip in India:
http://swamivishwananda-info.blogspot.com/2011/11/india-pilgrimage-2nd-part.html

Sri Swami Vishwananda Satsang in which he speaks of animals, cruelty, karma, how to help...
"…how to react on the cruelty of animals; help the animal and not only domestic animals. For example, in Kenya, Africa, we are helping animals which have been collected from the streets. I am sure here, also, there are many animals on the streets which are helped. We can help. And when you are helping, know that God abides in tune with animals also. When you are helping the animal, you are helping also the Divine..."

SATSANG: Sri Swami Vishwananda

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

India Pilgrimage- 1st part

There will be from time to time an update, at which holy places the pilgrimage group with Swami Vishwananda was right now. So here is the first part:

After all the Travellers met at night at Mumbay Airport they went by bus to Nashik which is one of the world's holiest Hindu cities. This place is important for Hindu rituals for theafterlife offerings. Kumbhmela is held here once in 12years along the river Godavari with four other cities in India.


Godavari Ghat: The Godavari is a river that runs from western to southern India and is considered to be one of thebig river basins in India.

The Godavari Temple was built by Elder MadhavraoPeshwa's mother, Gopikabai in 1760. This temple is open for devotees only during the period of Kumbhamela (once in 12 years) for 13 months. It is also called Ganga Temple.

Kalaram Mandir:

This temple was built in 1794 and is similar in its architectural design to the nearby Trimbakeshwar Temple. The temple is 70 feet in height and was the brainchild of Gopikabai Peshwa. It was built with black stone from the mines of Ramsej Hill. There is a beautiful gold-platedcopper peak on the temple. There are icons of Rama, Sita and Laxman lavishly adorned with adornments. The temple is surrounded by several smaller temples such as the Vithal Temple, Ganapati Temple and Maruti Temple.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Wisdom of Love E-Card - Sri Swami Vishwananda

Click on Image to Enlarge

Sunday, November 13, 2011

In Quietness a Solution Comes

Masters analyze everything and they have a solution for everything. Only in quietness you will get a solution. Solutions are here always, but the mind is too busy to see them. When you have a problem, you look for a solution; you keep looking, looking, looking and get crazy about it. But at the end you say, “I am tired of it!" Then you realize that the solution was there, but you did not see it. Then you ask yourself why you did not see it. Actually, it's because the mind was busy; the mind was too much in action.

ATMA KRIYA Swami Vishwananda Chanting

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Satguru's GIft

The Love that the devotee has for the Satguru, the Love that the devotee has for the Divine is one single-minded Love. This Love is a Love where the devotee doesn’t expect anything apart from the Lord Himself. And, in this Love, nothing can move the bhakta, no matter what comes! When Meerabai was singing for Krishna, people would say “She’s crazy”, but this didn’t change her faith, this didn’t change her Love. She was so concentrated. Her mind was so focused and one-pointed toward the Lord, that nothing could move her. It is said that devotion has another name: one single-pointed mind. When your mind is completely focused on God, you will have Him.

Sri Swami Vishwananda

Satguru’s Gift

Whatever it takes to break the Human Heart,
And thereby inflame the Heart Spirit,
Is Divine Grace.

From the moment of birth in physical form
A tiny babe has been born from
The Holy Grail of woman.
And the seed of man is placed
Into conceptual, fertile space and time.
Once transference has taken place,
A soul divinely comes into alignment
With material, third-dimensional form.

A Satguru from beyond time and space,
Seemingly, is born into physical form.
In actuality, Satguru never is born nor is he physical,
A mystery from time out of mind…Divinely So!
Satguru appears from the divine nature of God
For only one purpose. . .
It is not for himself that he comes or goes.

The Satguru transcends
Time and space and light and dark,
As a gift from the Divine,
To awaken the divinity within all those who
Resonate with his heart, his form, and
His timeless message of Love forevermore.

The Satguru has a heart full of Divine Love
And a mind that has been cleansed
Of darkness,
And thereby registers
Only Divine Light Form.

Krishna’s cattle-herder’s dog wanders
On the mountain landscape of life.
He tends the cows and herds them home.
Eventually, the cattle-herder—the man
Listens to the voice within,
The Voice of Mahavatar Babaji,
Sri Swami Vishwananda,
Narayana-Vishnu—the Supreme,
Calling him home to higher vibration,
Calling, calling, calling him home.
And so it is with dog and man,
In this day and this time!

The Satguru comes when Divine Timing
Transcends space and time
For one purpose only—
To tell all those who have the
Eyes to see and the ears to hear. . .
It is time, my friends,
For dog and man to become
One Egoless Yogi,
And transcend time. . .
It is time, it is time, it is time.

Whatever it takes to break the Human Heart,
And thereby inflame the Heart Spirit,
Is Divine Grace.

-Swamini Vishwalakshmianandama

Friday, November 11, 2011

Ask: You Will Receive an Answer

Sit down in meditation for an hour
or more every day.
In this hour just be with your own Self.
Enjoy being with your Self, and talk.
You will see that deep inside there will be a voice
you will hear. And everything that you ask,
you will receive an answer.

–Sri Swami Vishwananda

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Love's Pearls of Wisdom by Mahavatar Babaji 10.11.11

Diamonds are treasured for their beauty, value and brilliance. Humans are given the opportunity to value each other in this same honored way. How is it, then, that most do not see the Divine within each other and value this Light, the brilliance each carries within in the same way they do the light of the diamond? All the dark characteristics of the ego-mind prevent this Realization from manifesting in most lives. Let go of the things that cause you to choose maya instead of the Divine who is within each one of you. Follow your Heart and become free and at peace with the All.

A MOMENT IN HEAVEN by Yanni

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

We Live Like Caged Animals in a Time of Change

Sri Swami Vishwananda Teachings:
Directed Straight to the Heart
We are all Yogis:
We live in a time of change and it is a time when we have to change ourselves. We live in a time when we have to start taking responsibility. As long as we do not take responsibility, we weaken ourselves. When we analyze ourselves, we see our own limitation. Even then deep inside ourselves, there is another voice that says: “Hey, you have to wake up.” There is something greater than our limitation. And yet, the limitation of the mind is strong. We are in our own game and we don´t want to jump out of our game.


It is like we are caging ourselves like an animal and we run from one side to the other of the cage. Then we go back again to the same place that we were before. Like that, we let our mind darken our true Self. From time to time, as we rush back and forth inside the cage of our own making, through the grace of God and through the grace of Divine Mother, there are some rays of light and the gate is opened and you go out. But then, out of fear, you run into your cage again. Where does that lead you? Krishna said to Arjun: “Dear Arjun, be free. Be like a Yogi and raise your weapon and fight.” When Krishna said that to Arjun, he did not say it only to Arjun. Krishna said that to all of us. We are all Yogis but we have to be free. What is a Yogi? It is somebody who is free!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Maya Devi

Maya Devi is very powerful because She traps everything; everybody gets trapped in it. Even saints get trapped in it but the saints know their goal. The yogis, the sadhus, the persons who are enlightened, they know their goal, they know what they want. They know what is real, what they desire inside of themselves. This is what is real: to show what you really want, what your heart wants; to listen deep inside of you, to be free from the misery of this world. I don’t mean that you have to die. You can become a jivan mukti. You can live in this world but, at the same time, not be a part of this world. Then you can have happiness. You will discover it, you will enjoy it, you will know about it.

For that, there are many ways. There’s prayer, which helps to calm the mind. There’s bhajan, singing, which will give you bliss; you can lose yourself in it and you develop bhakti inside you. But still, this is not fulfillment. It’s through meditation that you can really come to the power of complete fulfillment.

Sri Swami Vishwananda

Relinquishing Maya Devi for the Divine: (Taken from “Blossoming of the Heart)

“…this quest led me to spend 30 years on my spiritual journey, hoping to find a teacher who would and could lead me to achieve enlightenment in this lifetime…”

July 2, 2005: “…I sat as close to the chair obviously prepared for Swami Vishwananda as I could. When he came in and sat down, love radiated from him. I felt I could be safe for the rest of my life.

“Swami led us in chanting for a short time and then he gave darshan. As I knelt in front of him and looked into his eyes, I started trembling with shakti rushing through my body. I experienced profound peace, stillness and a presence I had never felt before as love poured through me. I returned to my seat and went into a deep meditation. I heard the words: “This is the one for whom you have been searching.”

VIDEO: The Universe is an illusion, But Consciousness Isn't