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South India Pilgrimage: Day 7. On the road...

December 29, 2014, 12:37 pm
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Day Seven of the South India Pilgrimage, written by: Bhakti Dasi, Leelavathi, and Sitaram


The sun was shining and hot but yet we were still looking forward to continue the pilgrimage. Kochi is the town where we were exploring this day. In the past, Kochi was a city with European influences and it is still possible to see that nowadays, mainly in the architecture.

One of the interesting things in this small town, is the coexistence of several religions, including: Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and many others.








After a wonderful breakfast, Guruji lead our group to Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica, a catholic church downtown based at Fort Kochi; it is one of the eight Basilicas in India. Counted as one of the heritage edifices of Kerala, this church is one of the finest and most impressive churches in India and is visited by tourists the whole year round. It is a place of devotion where several saints can be found. One of the saints that Guruji spoke about was Saint Vicente de Paul, who was a priest that dedicated himself to serving the poor. Guruji likes him very much! Once a month it is also possible to venerate a relic from the Cross that Jesus was crucified on.

God’s own Country - Sights 08 by Pandiyan, on Flickr

Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic License   by  Pandiyan 


After this inspiring visit we had some free time to go shopping for Indian cloths, local handicraft, spice shops, etc.

The group planned to catch a tuk tuk at 4 p.m. to go straight to the Cochin Thirumala Devaswom Temple. At this temple we did Parikrama (walking around the temple) while we were awaiting for the temple to open. We sat quietly and began singing bhajans. However, because this temple only allows Indian Hindus, we were forbidden to watch the ceremony.

As we were waiting outside the temple for the rickshaws to take us to the Kathakali play; the time reached 6pm and the temple opened for a wedding to take place. Muktaananda wanted to have the Darshan of the divine couple and entered the temple. Nobody asked him to leave and he took part in the whole ceremony. It also happened that he could talk with the manager of the temple so his explanation follows: "I said to him that our Gurudeva was very upset with this old rule that only Hindus are allowed inside. It's not appropriate anymore in our times. We should cultivate openness and love and welcome one another. He agreed with that but he said, "We can not change this rule." Nevertheless, the rule was changed a little bit this evening. Through this, the blessing of the wedding could reach the whole Bhakti Marga family."



Kathakali / ????? by Jogesh S, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic License   by  Jogesh S 


The Katha Kali traditional dance of Kerala which 
depicts the test that Lord Shiva gave to Arjuna.

Travelling again in the famous tuk tuk, we made our way to the Kathakali show. Kathakali is a stylized classical indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of the characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures, the 33 mudras and the well-defined body movements presented. It originated in the country's present day state of Kerala during the 17th century and has developed over the years with improved make up, refined gestures and added themes, including more ornate singing and precise drumming. Kathakali literally means 'to represent history'. It was a new experience and was awesome!!!

We hopped on the tuk tuk headed to the hotel. With a speech full of emotion and history, our driver gave us a passionate expression of the city. His words brought the city to life, you could tell that this local man truly loves the city he is from.

In the hotel we were presented with a delicious Indian dinner in a serene and charming courtyard setting, with a sound of a rhythmic Tabla flowing through the air.
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A Super Mega Christmas Gift of Sri Swami Vishwananda

December 31, 2014, 12:39 pm
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Since the 26th until the 28 December, at Shree Peetha Nilaya, Sri Swami Vishwananda graced us with a priceless Christmas Divine Gift: four consecutive Darshans. This year, around 800 people came for Darshan. Back in 2011, on the 27th December, Swamiji surprised us with the announcement that He would give Darshan every day until the 30th of December. At that time, people were caught by surprise, so only approximately 100 people received this priceless Christmas Divine Gift from Sri Swami Vishwananda. It's an amazing opportunity to let go of the "useless old" and to get ready for the change, embracing a "new life" which will unfolded along the coming year.


Since then, these daily Darshans between Christmas and New Year have been scheduled in advance and every year, more and more people organise their lives to be present at Shree Peetha Nilaya during this special time. Since last year, the number of people exceeded the events halls capacities at Shree Peetha Nilaya, so in order to support the events organization team and at the same time to accommodate all, Sri Swami Vishwananda decided to give Darshan to man and woman separately in different days. This year, it was schedule Darshan for women on the 27th and the 29th in the big Darshan Hall (approximately 550 women plus children), and Darshan for men on the 28th and the 30th in the Light Hall (approximately 250 men plus children).



Darshan for women on the 29th December- Sri Swami Vishwananda blesses a Shiva doll

Darshan for men on the 28th December- Sri Swami Vishwananda gives Darshan to a child
The four Darshans were available on livestream, so both men and women were given an opportunity to assist every Sri Swami Vishwananda individual Darshan from beginning till the end being projected on a big screen in the respective allocated halls. 


On the 28th and the 30th, just before Sri Swami Vishwananda entered the Light Hall, where all men were gathered waiting for Him, the women grouped naturally together filling up the lobby, without any previous organization, welcoming Swamiji by chanting “Narayana, Narayana” and clapping while He was passing by. At the end of Darshan, after arati, it happened the same. It was amazing to see this spontaneous women unity greeting Sri Swami Vishwananda! On the other hand, men seemed to be strongly connected while singing and dancing during Sri Swami Vishwananda Darshans.



Every day, since Christmas Sri Swami Vishwananda has been supporting His devotees also by giving group Satsangs (by country or language) and some private interviews.


Sri Swami Vishwananda giving a Satsang to a group of Italian devotees on the 28th December

Life experiences with Sri swami Vishwananda
Yesterday, after Darshan Sri Swami Vishwananda sent us via Twitter the following message, “Love is the highest state which one can reach in this plane, devote yourself to reach there by cultivating devotion and surrender to God.”

The true meaning of surrender to the God/Guru can't be explained by words, it can only be experienced, so among the experiences shared during these four Darshans we have selected the one below which is a testimony of surrendering to the Guru.

Testimony
"Yesterday we had a satsang with Swami Vishwavijayananda about the Guru Gita. If you are interested in the Guru Gita, you can buy it in the Bhakti Marga shop now. So, it is very good to read the Guru Gita and it was very nice to be with Swami Vishwavijayananda talking about surrender. Not that I am an expert in surrender but sometimes life creates situations where you have an experience of surrender. I was very blessed to be part of the pilgrimage group that in 2013 was in Kumbh Mela, at Allahabad. I am sure many of you have already heard about our experiences during the Kumbh Mela 2013. The goal was to be part of the group going into the water, where the rivers Yamuna and Ganga flow together, the Sangam, [Guruji says, ‘And the Saraswati also’] And Saraswati also, yes, but Saraswati you don't see... [Guruji says in a joyful way, ‘You see! It's underneath, you don't see it up’] Maybe some people see it, I didn't see! [Kalavati laughs and audience burst out laughing] I belong to the people who don't see these things. So, we knew our goal: to get at a certain point of time into the water and go down three times like when you get baptised. It sounds like an easy goal but if there are 70 or 100 million people... we were a little bit concern how we would get there; maybe you get there but you surely might be out of the place... so I was a bit scared. We started at night, at 1 o'clock in the morning and it was cold.


If there are so many people there, you can't take off your shoes, take your time, make sure that you wear a swimming suit and all these things. No! You're dressed on a sari and you run! And all you want is to be in there, out there, and then you walk back wet, barefoot. And we had to walk about 8 Km one way. It was just a long path in the night and it was cold. But Guruji (Sri Swami Vishwananda) was going really fast. I didn't know that He could walk that fast! [Guruji says laughing, ‘She says that because I am big, that's why.’ Kalavati and audience burst out laughing] It was fun! We had the drums, the group was singing and we stop at the place, where there was another Guru (Mahamandaleshwara Swami Chitprakashanand Giriji Maharaj).

Sri Swami Vishwananda with Mahamandaleshwara Swami Chitprakashanand Giriji Maharaj during Kumbh Mela 2013
He belongs to the Shiva tradition and we were allowed to go with them, just after the Naga Babas had gone into the water. So we stopped there... [Guruji says in a naughty way, ‘They don't know what is a Naga Baba.’] They don't know? Shall I explain it? [Guruji says in a joyful way, ‘Maybe you should show!’ Kalavati and audience burst out laughing] So the Naga Babas... like in those traditions, you know, the ones with the highest spiritual achievement are in the front and then after them the Naga Babas are completely naked and covered with ashes. They were like over a thousand, so we had to wait a little bit until they were out of the water. Why am I talking about all this? The thing is that when there are so many people... [Suddenly audience stopped paying attention to the talk and everybody is focused on Guruji holding a newborn baby in His arms]


Oh, I can't compete with that! [Kalavati stopped talking for a few minutes] Shall I go on? So, what happened was that our group was going with Guruji and finally I saw Him on the top of a big car. So we were squeezed and all I did it was to try to see where my Guru was, because I felt that if I would lose Him, if I lose the group, I would be lost among 70 million people.


I didn't want to get lost, in the first place; but I also wanted to get into the water with the group. So all I did was just to focus on Him all the time until I reached the water. There wasn't other way. And during that time I didn't feel hungry, I didn't feel cold, I didn't feel my feet hurting, there was no time to have any physical pain, to have any need, it was just to focus on the Guru in order to get into the water and…



...when we came out of the water we had some prasad somewhere and from then on we slowly went back. When I was back in the tent everything hurt, my feet hurt, I was hungry, I was sleepy, I was complaining, I was like... we are all the time. And that taught me that when we are completely focused on our Guru, when we know what we want, when we know our goal, when we focus on our Guru, we lose ourselves and surrendering is to lose oneself as Swami Vishwavijayananda taught us yesterday. So I want to encourage everybody, when you feel lost, when you feel you're complaining, when you feel pain, when you feel discomfort, just focus, remember your goal, focus on your Guru and lose yourself. So that was my lesson, what I experienced, which means that if I only focus on my Guru and not on myself... I didn't feel anything that could harm me or hurt me and I got to my goal: I finally ended up in the water. So I thank everybody to be able to share this experience with my Satguru and I hope that everybody can once experience a situation where you can definitely say, ‘At that moment I lost myself.’ Thank you very much and OM Namo Narayanaya!"
- Kalavati, Switzerland
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"Awakening of a new Era."

December 31, 2014, 3:30 pm
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New Bhakti Marga Logo Announcement

As Bhakti Marga approaches its tenth anniversary, the time has come for a new era of change. Bhakti Marga has always stood for the uniting Love of God, transcending all religions and bringing people together from all corners of the globe.

Now more than ever is a time of change both inside and outside and it is our mission and goal to be at the forefront of that change, ushering in a new age of love and spiritual growth that is so very needed in this world.

With all that in mind, Sri Swami Vishwananda has decided that the logo of Bhakti Marga needs to change to reflect that renewed conviction of change and spiritual awakening.


Symbolism of the new logo


The white horse is a symbol of transformation and new beginnings. It signifies a return to the light from darkness, a journey from our minds to our hearts. Perhaps the most famous use of the white horse comes form the Hindu shastras which claim that Kalki, the tenth avatar of Maha Vishnu, will come riding on a white horse, bringing with him a new dawn and the end of the Kali Yuga. It is exactly that transformation and progression that Sri Swami Vishwananda wishes upon this world and Bhakti Marga is aligning itself to that wish through this new logo. The old logo served to unite us. We believe the new one serves to propel us forwards towards God’s Love as one big family.

Logo Elements

As well as the previously discussed white horse, the new Bhakti Marga logo also contains a few other noteworthy elements. We have now also added the Maha Mantra of Bhakti Marga and the Sri Sampradaya, Om Namo Narayana, to the inner sector of the logo. The Name of God is the greatest and most powerful gift given to us for our spiritual salvation in this age. If we are indeed to usher in a new age then we wish to show the way in which this will be accomplished; through the continuous, loving chanting of the Divine Names.

On the outer petals of the logo you can now find a variety of logos and symbols, each representing a different facet of Bhakti Marga. For example, you will find the logos for Atma Kriya Yoga, OM Healing, Simply Meditation and the Mantra Project as they are the principle techniques and practices that have been given by Swamiji over this first decade of Bhakti Marga. You will also find symbols of meditation and prayer to symbolise our way of life, the spiritual path we have chosen to take under the guidance of our Satguru. The symbols of the world’s religions previously used in the centre of the old logo are also now found on the outer petals. Bhakti Marga will always stand for the unity of religions and the new logo will continue to uphold that stance. The remaining five petals at the top of the logo consist of the Bhakti Marga tilak, Lord Narayana’s Shankha and Chakra and his eternal bhaktas and servants, Garuda and Hanuman. These serve as the symbols of our Guru Parampara (lineage), the most important element of Bhakti Marga by far. Only through worship to the Guru are we to ever succeed in our goals. These symbols will serve as a reminder of that for generations to come.

Last but not least, the white horse is seen emerging from a lotus. The lotus is a widely used symbol in spirituality for a good reason. Lotus’ grow in swamps and muddy areas, yet they blossom into beautiful and pure flowers. This is the very same struggle we are faced with. We live in a world of illusion and darkness and our only wish is to rise into the light of God’s Love. Bhakti Marga will shine through as a lotus amidst the world’s darkness. Sri Swami Vishwananda will be ever there to hold our hands on this journey but the first step must come from our side. Let us join hands as one renewed family and usher in this new age of Love together as one, under the eternal guidance of our beloved Satguru, Sri Swami Vishwananda.
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New Year Celebrations with Sri Swami Vishwananda

January 3, 2015, 6:19 pm
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Throughout the last day of 2014, Sri Swami Vishwananda wrote several messages to His devotees via Twitter sending His best wishes and blessings for the new year of 2015:

“This ending year was a great lesson to many. Don't forget what 2014 has taught you and grow with new life experiences, with strength and patience.”
“Wish you all the happy welcoming of a New Era and may it bring you all success and great joy on your spiritual and material life. Happy New Year!”

“May the Lord, who is the Heart of hearts, carry you all in His Cosmic Play and may His Grace be with you all. That's my prayer.”

“Let's dance in the Eternal Dance of the Lord together entering a new year with His joy and blessings toward Realisation.”

“Start the new year with a strong resolution to love and see God in all His creation, especially in people we meet daily, as that's His gift to us.”

“Happy New Year to you all! I carry you all in My heart and bless you all with the Love of Giridhari. May the Grace of the Guru and God be with you all.”

“Surrender to His Lotus Feet through the Grace and Guidance of the Guru. Happy New Year! Love you all.”

In the evening, the New Year celebrations at Shree Peetha Nilaya started with a play dedicated to Divine Mother, performed by a group of children.



After the play, Sri Swami Vishwananda told us, “We are here celebrating the ending of an old year and the starting of a new one. Every year, one starts the year with a certain resolution of transforming oneself, of advancing on the spiritual path or in the daily life itself. Whatever is one's aim, one is infused with new strength and power and the greatest power of all is in the Name of the Lord Himself.

"When you start the year by praising Him, by remembering Him, all these divine qualities get awakened inside of you. More than just the resolution of attaining something, if one has the resolution of attaining the Lord Himself, of attaining His Love, His Grace, He makes it possible; when it arises from deep within you, from your heart, from sincerity, He can't refuse you. So like every year, let the resolution of your spiritual growth, of advancing to His Lotus Feet – let this be awakened inside of you, in the core of your heart. Like Srimati Radharani is always with Him, let you portrait also the same.”

The New Year of 2015 was then welcomed while singing and dancing the Divine Names. For approximately 90 minutes Sri Swami Vishwananda sang bhajans continuously supported by the Bhakti Marga musicians and devotees.




A few minutes before midnight Sri Swami Vishwananda went to the Temple to perform Arati and was followed by devotees.




After Arati, everybody was invited to go outside the Main Entrance of Shree Peetha Nilaya to enjoy the fireworks display.


However, just before the fireworks display, Sri Swami Vishwananda surprised everbody with a short video projection on a wall of the building introducing the New Bhakti Marga Logo, which represents itself the beginning of a New Era.



After the fireworks display, Sri Swami Vishwananda blessed each person individually with the ‘Vishnu Padam’ by placing Them on the top of our heads.


A Bhajan Disco ended the night celebrations, giving the opportunity for everybody to start the New Year 2015 listen to the Divine Names and dancing with the Lord Himself, in the form of our beloved Guru, Sri Swami Vishwananda.


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First most auspicious Abishekam of 2015 with Sri Swami Vishwananda

January 3, 2015, 11:00 pm
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On the 1st day of the year 2015, at Shree Peetha Nilaya, Sri Swami Vishwananda graced us with the possibility to be in His physical presence while He was performing an Abishekam on His personal deities. This event was not scheduled in the official programme, but Swamiji had made an early morning announcement at the end of the Bhajan Disco. The Abishekam was supposed to be held in the Temple but as it wasn't possible to accommodate everybody there, Swamiji decided to perform it in the Light Hall.



At the beginning, Sri Swami Vishwananda placed all the deities on His own asana (chair) and then He placed them one by one on the Abishekam tray: Thakurji, Giridhariji, Mahavishnu, Mahalakshmi, several little Saligrams representing different forms of Mahavishnu, like Narasimha, a little Govardhana Shila representing Krishna and a little murti of Bala Krishna.



Sri Swami Vishwananda performed each step of the Abishekam ritual showing clearly His unmatched devotion


Bhakti Marga musicians led us all through an amazing Kirtan experience during this most auspicious Abishekam. So, everybody rejoiced dancing and singing Radha and Krishna Names.


At the end, Swamiji performed Arati. Afterwards, everybody had the opportunity to receive the deities' Darshan and partake of the delicious prasad.



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Open Seva Positions in Shree Peetha Nilaya

January 5, 2015, 3:03 pm
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The Bhakti Marga media team is looking for a full Time Video Editor to be based at Shree Peetha Nilaya.



Bhakti Marga International is looking for a full time video editor to be based at Shree Peetha Nilaya, the international centre of Bhakti Marga, located in Germany Springen. This is a special opportunity for the right devotee to come and live at Sri Swami Vishwananda’s main centre and to contribute to the growth of His mission.


The candidate will first be staying for a 3 month trial period after which a decision for longer-term position will be made.
  1. The candidate should have an understanding of video editing, even if basic, and be willing to learn and grow with the demands of the various projects. 
  2. He / She should be familiar with the Mac operating system and Adobe Premiere Pro software.
  3. The candidate will also be required to work with the camera team helping to film events as and when needed.
  4. The editing and encoding of two YouTube clips a day every day moving forward - The clips are between 2:30min - 4:30min in length and have a standard format. 
  5. They will need to source the material to be exported off of the servers and then edit it down into small bites, you will work closely with the translation / online team so they can source Satsangs, speeches etc which are good to use.
  6. After all major events that take place in SPN: Navaratri, Guru Purnima, Babaji Day, Krishna Janmashtami etc, a YouTube video needs to be created within 24 hours of the event finishing to be uploaded to YouTube as per the guidelines of the online media team and production manager
  7. Archive and Video PC maintenance - At least one day a week you will need to spend working through the video archive and maintaining the video Mac.
  8. Finding devotees around the world to help edit material: As the Video Editor you will need to start working with and include devotees from around the world who would like to help edit material. You will need to manage the work they are doing:
  • Ensure our standards and formats are being adhered to
  • Identify which projects they can do and whether they are working within set deadlines
  • Setting up of methods to send them video files to work with and receive back the material once they have finished a project
  • Taking responsibility for the Video editing: Moving forward you will need to take responsibility for maintaining the video editing department, making sure deadlines are met, servers and footage are correctly archived, standards and formats are kept and you will be reporting to the Media Production Manager every week on progress and any problems that might arise.
    • If interested, email Anantananda at Anantananda (at) bhaktimarga (dot) org with the following

    Application form for Bhakti Seva Program:
    • First Name & Family Name:
    • Spiritual Name:
    • date of birth: (age)
    • home address: / email:
    • profession/formation/experiences:
    • photo of yourself
    • short motivation: WHY you would like to do seva at Shree Peetha Nilaya?
    • Do you have already other seva experiences? 
    • If yes, where and in which area?
    • WHEN and for HOW LONG would you like to come?
    • Do you have a valid European health insurance for Germany?




    The Shree Peetha Nilaya Facilities team is looking for a Janitor's Assistant for the maintenance area!




    This is a great opportunity to enjoy the daily lifestyle of the ashram, and to help grow Swamiji's mission from the "ground level". :D


    Seva duties:





    General styling and care of the external areas:
    - mowing the lawn
    - cutting of tree branches and bushes
    - dispose of composting material
    - winter service
    - wood processing


    Indoor service and maintenance:
    - lubricating and repairing of windows and doors 
    - installing cupboards and beds 

    - caring for the heating system
    - caring for washing machines and dryers 

    - maintaining of machines and tools
    - repair work within the building (electricity, sanitary, building renovations)




    Requirements:

    - manual skills
    - professional experiences as a plumber, bricklayer, carpenter, electrician are preferred
    - proficient language skills of English (verbally and written) are preconditioned, language skills of German (verbally and written) are preferred
    - initiative of one’s own and ability to work both independently and by teamwork
    - ability to run a team 
    - willingness to accept responsibility and to perform flexible working hours



    If you feel you'd like to get involved, please send your application with photo by e-mail to: pramod (at) bhaktimarga (dot) org
      Application form for Bhakti Seva Program:
      • First Name & Family Name:
      • Spiritual Name:
      • date of birth: (age)
      • home address: / email:
      • profession/formation/experiences:
      • photo of yourself
      • short motivation: WHY you would like to do seva at Shree Peetha Nilaya?
      • Do you have already other seva experiences? 
      • If yes, where and in which area?
      • WHEN and for HOW LONG would you like to come?
      • Do you have a valid European health insurance for Germany?




      We are looking for a permanent garden helper in Shree Peetha Nilaya 


      We are looking for a helpful and willing man who supports our gardenteam in Shree Peetha Nilaya.

      Responsibilities and duties:
      You will be helping in the fruit and vegetable garden:
      • cultivation of seedlings
      • tilling and planting
      • watering plants
      • weeding
      • soil mulching
      • maintenance of the garden tools 
      • working in greenhouses
      • delivering vegetables to the kitchen
      • harvesting and organizing winter storage
      • taking care of fruit trees
      • focusing on plant-protection, curing infirmities of plants
      • soil preparation for winter


      Requirements:
      • knowledge and experience in gardening and farming
      • being skilled in practical work: experience of pluming, construction work is preferred
      • physical health and strength.
      • the ability to organize the work of people and to lead a team 
      • Knowledge of english is required, knowledge of german and language is  prefered.
      • self initative
      • ability to work independently and in a team
      • willingness to take on responsibility
      • open for flexible working hours, long working hours



      If you feel that you are suitable for this position, please send your application with photos to E-mail: pramod (at) bhaktimarga (dot) org.





      We are looking for a temporary garden helper (from March until end of October) in Shree Peetha Nilaya 


      Responsibilities and duties:
      You will be helping in the fruit and vegetable garden:
      • cultivation of seedlings
      • tilling and planting
      • watering plants
      • weeding
      • soil mulching
      • maintenance of the garden tools 
      • working in greenhouses
      • delivering vegetables to the kitchen
      • harvesting and organizing winter storage
      • taking care of fruit trees
      • focusing on plant-protection, curing infirmities of plants
      • soil preparation for winter

      Requirements:
      • knowledge and experience in gardening and farming
      • being skilled in practical work (for man): experience of pluming, construction work is preferred
      • physical health and strength.
      • Knowledge of english is required, knowledge of german and language is  preferred.
      • self initative
      • ability to work independently and in a team
      • willingness to take on responsibility
      • open for flexible working hours, long working hours


      If you feel that you are suitable for this position, please send your application with photos to E-mail: pramod (at) bhaktimarga (dot) org.


      We hope to hear from you willing candidates, to get you started soon at the ashram!


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      First Darshan of 2015 with Sri Swami Vishwananda - The uniqueness of God's Love

      January 5, 2015, 10:00 pm
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      On the 3rd January, at Shree Peetha Nilaya, Sri Swami Vishwananda gave His first Darshan of the year 2015. This Darshan was especially significant because it was also the first Darshan since Swamiji has revealed, on the first day of 2015, the Awakening of a new Era. Furthermore, for the first time in Bhakti Marga history, Sri Swami Vishwananda shared with His devotees His own impressions of His Darshan, via Twitter, just a few minutes after this event had finished. He wrote to us:

       “The Darshan was wonderful! Piercing deep into the soul of each one, perceiving the work of the Almighty in all His creation; so unique is His Love!” 




      Each Darshan of Sri Swami Vishwananda is unique to each one individually and also to all collectively. On this particular Darshan, everybody could noticed that Swamiji's eyes were shining immensely and He was radiating an extraordinarily sweetness.



      Life experiences with Sri swami Vishwananda
      During the Darshans of Sri Swami Vishwananda there is an extraordinary moment when people share their life experiences with Him. Among the experiences shared in this Darshan we have selected the two presented below (see more information about experiences with Sri Swami Vishwananda at the end of this article):

      The importance of a living Satguru
      “Jai Gurudev! During the discourse that Guruji (Sri Swami Vishwananda) gave on the Bhagavad Gita, He said that the battle (Mahabharat) that occurred in the field of Kurukshetra is a reflection of the inner battle that occurs in all of us. And that is the battle between the lower material tendencies – the  way our senses go and grab the world and we become so attached through lust, avarice; and then on the other side there's a part of us that wants something higher, that wants something that's pure. And really what we are looking for, is that Divinity within ourselves and also outside of ourselves, to attain the Feet of the Lord.

      And Bhagavan Krishna in the form of the Guru, He explains to Arjuna that there are three ways to – three main strategies, let's say, in this battle inside. There's Karma yoga, there's Gyaan yoga and there's Bhakti yoga. Karma yoga is the path of selfless action. Gyaan yoga is the philosophical attainment of the Lord. And then there's Bhakti, which is the devotional service to the Lord. And that is what we are here for.

      It probably hasn't escaped you that we are called Bhakti Marga. And that shows you firstly the greatness of Guruji because He explains so beautifully why the Bhakti path is the best path and the path for our times; and His whole organisation, the organisation that is around Him and focused on Him is called Bhakti Marga. And I think all of you know, actually, why it's the best path. Because, it's so sweet. And we all come here and we have fun, but also it's like the path itself is more important than the goal. We all have in our minds, ‘Oh, yes, to attain the Lord.’ But, actually, it's so sweet trying, isn't it? At least for me! [Audience clapping]

      It wasn't always that way for me. So, this is the reason why the Satguru is so important, for the strength of an organisation like Bhakti Marga. Without Him we lose that inner battle between the lower material tendencies and the highest spiritual tendencies; because the Guru isn't there or the connection to the Guru isn't there to give you that nudge, sometimes a kick to push you away from what is so easy to fall into, the traps which are so easy to fall into. And we all do it. I do it so much; judgement, ego - but with the Guru there and with some surrender you can turn and face towards the Divinity.


      I used to always wonder about the conversations I had with Swamiji, because they were so innocuous – we were talking about nothing in a way – you know, no great statements, ‘You should do this, this and this!’ – just ordinary conversation. But, He plants these little seeds and those little seeds grow. Or He might press a button... and because of His mastery, because He has this cosmic view which is beyond the dimensions we see and beyond time, He knows that He can just push one little domino here and so many will fall. And then in the end the result is actually a very big change. That's what makes the Bhakti Marga great, because we have a living Master who keeps us on the right path, who through these little nudges throughout our lives keeps us focused on God.

      Satgurudeva Maharaj Ki.... Jai!

      Bhakti Marga Ki.......Jai!”

      - Gerald (Shyam), London, UK.



      The most important meeting in my life

       (Speech translated by Madhavi)

      My name is Rolf and I would like to tell you a story of how Kriya Yoga found me and also how Sri Swami Vishwananda called me afterwards.

      At the end of the last Millennium, I worked intensely with Reiki and this almost forced me to read Yogananda's book which was in a book shelf of my mother. When I started to read this book, I was very fascinated and felt a strong pull towards Kriya Yoga. So, I don't know exactly how it was, but ‘by accident’, like things happen in life, somehow a Kriya Yoga event caught my attention. I was initiated and practised Kriya Yoga for maybe three years.

      Then, one of my friends told me about Swamiji. At that time, I was not sure who was my Guru, but when I met Swamiji, it was very clear to me, because tears were flowing from my eyes. So, I recognised Swamiji as my Guru. And it is like that: we don't find the Guru, but the Guru calls us and for sure Swamiji had called me already earlier to Kriya Yoga before I knew about Him. So, I was very happy to have met my Guru and later on He initiated me in Atma Kriya Yoga.

      This was the most important meeting in my life - the meeting with my Gurudev. And if there are some times of darkness, which happens in every life, when I practice Atma Kriya Yoga and think of Swamiji everything becomes much brighter again. I thank you my beloved Guruji from the bottom of my heart. And I thank you all for listening to me.

      - Rolf, Bad Homburg, Germany

      In the book Blossoming of the Heart, which is available in the Bhakti Marga shop, relatives, friends, devotees and disciples from different countries and different cultural backgrounds share their very personal experiences with Sri Swami Vishwananda. The original English version (right)  is already translated in German (left), Polish and Portuguese.

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      Sri Swami Vishwananda reveals one secret of the mantra ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’

      January 11, 2015, 12:15 pm
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      Lately Sri Swami Vishwananda again repeatedly reminded us and the world of the importance of chanting the Name of God, and in particular also of chanting the Mahamantra OM NAMO NARAYANAYA.



      Last night, at the end of Darshan, just before Arati, Sri Swami Vishwananda gave a short, revealing talk, surprising everyone as he stopped giving talks at Darshans in Shree Peetha Nilaya end of 2011. 

      He asked:
      "How many of you do Japa everyday? [not many lifted their hands] You eat everyday?.. [laughters]
      For the ones who do Japa with the mantra ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’ every day, Mahavatar Babaji would like me to teach you one secret of that mantra. How you can get the full benefit of it. And also, like I said earlier, times are changing, things will get harder in the world. You have noticed that already, haven't you? The only thing that will bring peace to this world is the mantra ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’ and if you are doing Japa every day with ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’, then I will teach you this mudra connected to ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’, which channels the mind, uplifting your heart's energy and releasing it to the world, so it amplifies the mantra ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’ in yourself and it helps also the outside, bringing peace into this world."

      He then taught a special mudra to those who since a longer period of time had been chanting 16 mala rounds or more of ‘Om Namo Narayanaya’ every day. It turned out, that there were only very few amongst those present - a little more than a handful - who fitted this criteria. They were chosen to receive this special blessing for the benefit of the world.

      Note: Those who are inspired to chant more and to enter in this way into a closer relationship with the Divine, for the benefit of mankind and their own spiritual upliftment, might be interested to find out more about the "Mantra Project", a special 40 day spiritual practise in which OM NAMO NARAYANAYA is chanted. It is both simple and powerful and has been completed by many around the world since it was first introduced in 2012. After successfully completing the practise, one receives a special bracelet which is blessed by Sri Swami Vishwananda, and which will help one further on one's spiritual path. For further information, write a short email to: mantraproject@bhaktimarga.org.


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      South India Pilgrimage: Day 8. Kochi to Malappuram

      January 14, 2015, 8:38 am
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      Today was a day of rest. We didn't go to any temple though we had a planned to visit one very old temple on our way from Kochi to Malappuram. Guruji went into the temple before us to see if we could all enter, but the temple was very strict and it wasn't possible.

      Meanwhile, we were waiting for Guruji in one restaurant near the road. It had a very nice playground and looked like a kindergarden. We enjoyed it very much, playing around and singing bhajans. When Guruji finally arrived we had lunch and after that continued with the journey.

      In the bus Guruji had shown us how much he can carry us, just as a mother does. He was going from one person to another and wanted to know how we were and asking if it's been difficult to be moving from one place to the other all the time. Personally, I had thought to myself, "No dear Guruji, nothing is hard when you are present and we're filled with your love."

      We finished this day all together with late dinner and a birthday cake which was a present for my birthday.

      -Kanupriya from Croatia
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      South India Pilgrimage: Day 10. Temple to Temple.

      January 14, 2015, 9:30 am
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      Ooty, Tamil Nadu

      December 18th started with a surprise. Gurudeva invited the whole pilgrimage group into his private room for an abishekam on the little Mirabai Krishna which he got as a gift from the priest of the Krishna temple in Nurpur, Himajal, where we "accidentally" stepped into during our last Pilgrimage of The Nine Devis earlier this year.






       The main deity there is the murti into which Meerabai herself submerged. It shrinks by itself every Krishna Janmashtami to about 1/3rd of its size and regrows afterwards. I once asked Guruji about this murti and he said that, "It is Krishna Himself. It is a cosmic portal."




      Today Guruji said that he wanted to give us something to balance the lack of a very intense pilgrimage so far because we had not visited so many temples yet.

      This very rare and special abishekam laid the foundation for an extraordinary day with other unexpected blessings. We were informed that we would visit one temple that day and that the second possible would be too far away. So we expected a calm afternoon. After lunch we went to town by bus and walked a distance to the Sri Mariamman Temple.






      An incident is narrated related with the formation of this temple. According to the narration, every Tuesday, merchants from Coimabatore came to this region to trade with the local tribes people. On one of these days, two sisters traveled from the north and reached the market. They had a Divine look and manner. When they asked for a place to stay, they were told to stay under a nearby tree. The people did not know that the sisters were Goddesses. A bolt of lightning, or flash of light, appeared near the tree and the sisters disappeared. Then the people understood that the sisters were Divine forms and built a temple for Goddess Kaliamman and Mariamman together. It is the only place where both goddess are seen together.

      Mariamman, the mother Goddess is widely considered to be a form of the goddess Kali. Mariamman is also referred to as Seethala Gowri or Mahamaayi.

      All the deities in this temple are very calm and quiet, not furious as we know them usually. In the temple there is also Chamundi, the destroyer of enemies. She also appears serene and motherly. Guruji said that the meaning of Mariamma is: Mari means My, and Amma means Mother; My mother. Guruji also mentioned,"If one prays to Sheethala Mata when one has chicken pocks. She then removes it."

      In this temple Guruji also spoke about the deities and their vahana (vehicle), like Shiva and Nandi, Ganesha and Mushika, Muruga and Mayur. These symbolise the Guru and the disciple. The disciple should be always willing to serve, and exclusively fully focused on the Guru. Nothing should be able to come in between the disciple and the Guru.







      From there we we went further to reach the Murugan Temple. On our way however we passed by a most beautiful Jain Temple made from pure Marble.



      Shri Shanti Vijay Guru is highly respected and venerated. Guruji and actually all of us were very much impressed by this manifestation.


      Krishna Temple


      Further on our path towards Murugan we passed by a small Krishna temple where we stepped in and discovered that an Abishekam on the main deities, Vittala, Rukmini and Sathyabama (Bhudevi) had just started and we were invited to stay. Following the ritual, Guruji started to sing bhajans in his most enchanting nature. The priest was a loving, open hearted and happy man, and in between one could witness Guruji being deeply touched when he wiped a tear from his eyes.




      The very familiar atmosphere in the temple was then crowned with a very tasty prasadam that the family cooked during the abishekam and which was more a dinner than any other. And an endless photo shooting with Guruji! The people just did not want to let go him. When he finally seemed to have managed his "escape" it was only to find Himself caught in the continuation of the shootings on the other side of the temple.



      Another incident was disclosed when Guruji looked at Dimitri in a very special way there and Dimitrius asked him, "What is this look? What do you see behind those eyes of yours?" Guruji said: "You can‘t imagine the things I see. Let me tell you...The Lord, Krishna, Himself was there at this temple, standing, smiling, with his hands on his waist...so was Shirdi Sai Baba and another Saint...(they did not remember the name)."



      Finally, later that evening we reached the Murugan temple almost next door with a relaxed and blessed Darshan.




      Back in the Hotel that night a birthday cake was presented to one of our groups, and Guruji was asked to please cut the cake. He said: "You should not cut a birthday cake with a knife. It is too violent, but people in the west would not aknowledge this. The cake should be broken with the hands." As it was a creamy cake, a spoon was chosen for the distribution, of which Guruji accepted the first portion.







      This last highlight of the day appears very important to me. Isn't it that also marriages are a kind of birthday? So whoever reads this and takes it to heart and into action shall be blessed. Leave the knives off the "birthday" cakes and enjoy a more peaceful and loving relationships with yourself and others. Jai Gurudev.

      -Muktananda, SPN
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      South India Pilgrimage: Day 8 - The Importance of Dakshina and Prasad

      January 14, 2015, 12:00 pm
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      In the bus Pramod was talking about two very important things which we have to be aware during this pilgrimage. The first one is Guru Dakshina.

      At the end of this journey we will give to our Guru the envelope with Dakshina in the form of money and we have to say "Krishna Arpan" which means “Everything to God”. Guru Dakshina is very common to hear of in India, but for western people it might be odd. It is what we give back to the Guru for his teaching. It is very important. The time may come when a disciple might ask his Guru what the Guru dakshina will be when the education is finished, for example, or the Guru can ask the disciple to give dakshina at any time in between.

      Pramod was pointing out a nice story of Eklavia, a member of a tribe in India, and a Guru called Drona, who was a guru of the Pandavas and Kauravas.

      The guru Drona made Arjun the best archer in the world. One day, they found out that there is another amazing archer around, and they wanted to know who he was. So they find Eklavia, a young archer, who was living in the cave, who had made a statue of guru Drona and worshiped it. He gets all his skills of archery just through concentration on that statue, and not from Guru Drona in person. He was so good in archery that he was maybe the equal of Arjun - or even better! Guru Drona had already promised to Arjun that he would be the best archer in the world! They found Eklavia and wanted to know how he learned to be so good at archery. Eklavia said that he learned from the guru Drona. Drona said if you learned from me, I ask you for the guru dakshina. Eklavia said "What is it?" Guru Drona answered it will be the thumb of your right hand. Eklavia took the knife and cut his thumb, which means that archery was finished for him, but he was still happy to have pleased his Guru.

      Arjuna, Dronacharya, and Ekalavya


      The guru always knows what dakshina is proper for his disciple and it also should be paid because of karmic balance. We received from the Guru and we also give back to the Guru. You should not leave the Guru without giving dakshina. Pramod also said what I remembered that Swami Vishwananda never takes from dakshina for his personal needs, he always give what he received to ashram or for spreading his mission. Even that there can be dakshina envelopes for one year, left, and when it comes the time, then they will be open.

      The second important thing is about prasad. During this pilgrimage Pramod said that we will get a lot of prasad from the temples and from the swamis, and that it is very important how our attitude is for what we get for eating.

      Narada Muni
      Another story was about Narad muni, who was a son of Brahma in his previous life, but he worshipped demigods which brought him a curse. So, he was born again but in the lower caste and during this incarnation he was living with his mother. It happened that one day the brahmins stayed in his place for some time and he was eating the food left over. So he was so infused with that energy from the blessed food of the saints, that he had a vision of the Lord Narayana. That happened only once in his lifetime and he wanted that to last forever. The Lord said that he will get his liberation at the end of his life, but the feeling and bliss of the Lord, he will have always when will sing his name and praise him.

      Pushpami from Croatia
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      South India Pilgrimage: Day 11. Journey to Mysore.

      January 14, 2015, 1:30 pm
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      The morning started off foggy and cold in the mountains of Ooty. After breakfast we set out on a 150 km journey to Mysore, the land of sandalwood. Although the drive felt long, it was quite a scenic route; descending through the mountains on the winding Indian motorways.

      About two hours into our drive we passed under an archway that read, "Bandipur tiger reserve." Our anticipation grew as all eyes turned to the forest, we were all in hopes of catching sight of some exotic animals.





      “Monkey!” someone shouted from the middle of the bus, we slowed down for long enough to capture a few good shots on our phones, people spoke of Hanuman and we were off again in search of a tiger! We travelled a few more kilometers and another shout echoed from the bus, "Elephant!" We stopped again and there was talk of trying to get out of the bus to get closer and get a better picture. Ultimately, we decided against it due to the impending threat of tigers! The wheels of the bus started spinning; we were making progress again. A few more elephants and deer were seen later but we were exiting the reserve without any sight of tigers….




      For lunch we were invited to the house of a devotee’s mother. They received us with open arms and immediately after Guruji arrived, a pada abishekam was done on his feet and he was given flower garlands.






      For lunch, we ate some incredible Indian food, using our hands as cutlery and banana leaves as plates. When the time came to leave and make our way to the next temple, all the women were gifted beautifully embroidered shawls that Swami had blessed prior to being handed out.





      A special puja was arranged for us at the famous Sri Chamundeshwari temple on the top of a hill over looking Mysore.




      While we were en route to the temple, word got out that westerners would not be allowed to enter the temple. As we arrived somehow, the strings were pulled and when we showed up at the temple, not only were we allowed to enter, but we also received V.I.P. treatment! We were ushered directly to the front of the line and got told to wait while the puja took place on the Chamunda murti. Later on we had to pay attention to the many monkeys that were climbing throughout the temple ready to pounce at any moment!


      Cave near Chamundeshwari temple. 


      After spending enough time at the temple, we went to a cave where it was reported that a saint who lived for over 350 years was staying. Swami told us when we go into the cave, it’s like stepping into a whole different universe. We made our decent down the hill and just outside of the saint's cave lay a gigantic Nandi. When we stepped through the small narrow doorway into the cave, we all noticed that there was a strong energy and a very high vibration, some of us stayed to soak up all the good vibes.



      Nandi, the vahana, or vehicle, of Lord Shiva.








      When we exited the temple into the large square that had been converted into a market, we were bombarded by salesmen trying to get us to buy everything from little wooden Ganesha murtis to pictures of deities. “No,” is not a word they have in their vocabulary, and the more we tried avoiding them, the more they urged us to buy some merchandise.

      Continuing our journey, the plan was to go by two more ashrams before retiring back to the hotel. At the first ashram, westerners were not allowed to enter again, but just as before after Swami talked with a few people and worked his magic, they gave us the "Okay," to enter the Nanjunananda ashram. We walked around for a bit and recived darshan from the place where a great saint took his Maha-Samadhi. In the blink of an eye we were out of that ashram and onto the next one.


      Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda

      Our last stop of the day was at the Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda ashram, which delivered an unexpected treasure of a moment. Sitting on top of the first temple we saw a gigantic Hanuman murti that was immediately juxtaposed by Swami’s orange robe. Gurudev received a warm welcome from the ashram residents, who offered him an orange shawl complimented by a flower garland. A  beautiful ambiance was created and the sacred space of the temple gave way to a joyous moment of bhajans. The singing was contagious and we let ourselves go deeply into the sounds of the Divine names.

      Although, in the beginning it was just our group singing, the bhajan’s vibration quickly attracted a crowd of students that were eager to join together with us in song. We lived and felt the devotional energy together, and for that moment the hall reverberated with the unifying force of bhakti. Like bees to honey, the group of young devotees came to show their love and recognition of being in the presence of Gurudev. As we came to the completion of our scene, this charming group of students swarmed Swamiji, bowing at his feet, asking for pictures, and expressing their love and joy around him.

      Guruji was then invited to go inside and help with the arati ceremony. The curtains closed and although we weren’t able to see Swamiji anymore, we were still buzzing from the bhajans that had just taken place. The ceremony finished and our time to return to the hotel had come. After another day surrounded by the divine energy that Swamiji offers us, our hearts were completely fulfilled.

      Thanks to all for an experience of a lifetime.
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      Dozo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu - Sri Swami Vishwananda is in Japan!

      January 15, 2015, 7:46 am
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      Swami arrived in Japan!



      On Wednesday, 14 January Swami Vishwananda arrived in Japan, a country he wanted to visit already for a long time!

      Together with Mira, Tandav ­Krishna and Nikhil He came to Tokyo Haneda airport and was greeted by Swamini Dayamati and some more devotees who were happy to see Him.


      Swami was very excited to finally be in Japan and instead of taking the offered taxi, preferred to take the train to go to the hotel.



      On the way He saw many japanese people wearing a mask in front of there mouth and wanted to know why they are doing so. It is not only to protect themselves of colds or maybe catching a virus but also to protect others from their illness. As the train ride went on, Swami wondered why the Japanese were not smiling and said, even while looking directly at them they wouldn't smile back... In a recent tweet He told about how smiling is good for us!



      After He arrived at the hotel, He had breakfast with the devotees – we counted nine devotees from 8 different countries! China, Nepal, Switzerland, Brasil, Serbia, Germany, USA and of course Japan!

      Checking out the hall for the concert and darshan
      Tickets for the event











      Swamiji and Swamini Dayamati at an interview for a Japanese magazine




      Here is the Facebook event page for the details of the Concert and Darshan with Swamiji tomorrow (January 16th). Make sure to invite your friends who live in Tokyo!

      Post by Sri Swami Vishwananda.

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      New Year Resolution 2015: To realise the Grace of the Master – A Testimonial

      January 17, 2015, 2:55 pm
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      During the last Darshan of Sri Swami Vishwananda at Shree Peetha Nilaya, on the 10th January, Mayuran, a devotee from London expressed his gratitude to Swamiji for all Divine Blessings He has showered upon us throughout the years which culminated in a year of 2014 full of His Grace. Furthermore, Mayuran shared some insights about the Grace of Master and strongly recommended as a New Year resolution for 2015: to pray and yearn for, "that this Grace that is already there, will be realised!"

      "Jai Gurudev! We just celebrated New Year's Eve and New Year's day, but it was also the occasion of Vaikunta Ekadasi. And this is the time when the gates of heaven are open and the devotees of the Lord can go and have Darshan of Narayana resting on Adhishesh amongst the cosmic waters. It's a time when millions of devotees in India journey to the temples in Tiruchy to have the Darshan of Srirangam; and they're queuing for hours and hours in Tirupati just to have 20 seconds of a glimpse of Lord Venkateshvara. This is because, Vaikunta, out of all the places in the cosmos is the most inaccessible, the most difficult to attain. So, it is a matter of Grace, that once a year, Narayana decides to open His gates for His devotees. But we should also note that there are different levels of Grace. When the Lord decides to leave Vaikunta and descend and come down in the form of the Master to be among His devotees, His disciples, this is a completely different level of Grace.


      Recently, I was in a Darshan of Sri Swami Vishwananda in Poland. As it always happens at the beginning of the Darshan, everyone was swarming up to Swami's chair. But Swami said to everyone, ‘You stay where you are, I will come to you!’ And then He went out and gave the Dynamic Darshan. This is another level of Grace! When the Lord decides to come of His own Will, just to be amongst His devotees, to show them what God is, first hand; to show them what Love in action is, this is another level of Grace.


      At the end of Navaratri last year, Swami asked me, ‘What did you think of the Guru Gita?’ And I said, ‘Swami, I have never heard you talk so explicitly and so directly about who You are as the Master.’ And it's true! Because many years ago, it was very very rare for Swami to talk publicly and so openly about the high state of the Master, the ultimate state of the Master. And Swami later told me that He knows when to give, what teaching, to which people, and at what time. Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita tells Arjuna, ‘I am reviving this ancient knowledge to you, because you are My devotee and you are My friend.’ So Arjuna was worthy enough to receive this wisdom from Krishna and I think, it's a sign of the times, that the sangha, the Bhakti Marga community is coming to a point of maturity where Swami feels like He can give the Guru Gita; that we are worthy enough and mature enough to imbibe this wisdom. Shiva says in the Guru Gita, ‘Parvati you are My very form and My very Self.’ If Shiva is giving the Guru Gita just to a stranger then He has to be very careful about what words He uses, but if He is talking to His very form and His very Self, in Parvati, then He can give the truth without any compromise at all. And that's what the Guru Gita is: it's the truth without any compromise.


       
      And Shiva goes on, telling to Parvati that this knowledge is not available in the Vedas, it is not available in the shastras, in the shruti, it's not available in any of the major scriptures because the knowledge of the Glory of the Master is not public knowledge, it's exclusive knowledge. It's the knowledge for those who are ready to receive it. So we should be thankful that Swami has given the Guru Gita to us over the last year. And we should remember that the essence of the Guru Gita, is simply this: that the Master is Narayana. That the whole spiritual game is under the Feet of the Master, that all the deities are under the Feet of the Master, and that nothing moves without the Master's Grace.


      And if we look at the spiritual marketplace today, if you go to any yoga show or anything of that kind, we'll see that there are many spiritual techniques, many philosophies, many teaching that are being marketed and pushed forward. But we should ask ourselves, ‘How many of them carry the Master's Grace?’ Because spirituality without Grace is meaningless. The Guru Gita says that if we perform rituals, pilgrimages, sacrifices, without the knowledge of the Master, then it's done in ignorance.” Because if we try to push philosophies that don't carry this Grace, then it is like trying to sell cars without engines. And if we have such a thing, we can be very happy that we have a car, we can tell all our friends that we have a car, but if doesn't have an engine then it's going nowhere. If all we're interested in is spiritual hobbies, spiritual past times, then we don't need any Grace. But if we want real transformation, if we want to see God, first hand, then Grace is essential. Because to get to Vaikunta is actually impossible, it cannot be done through our own efforts, it's impossible. It's like trying to walk to the moon, it can't be done. But if we have Swami in our lives, if we have the Grace of the Master in our lives, then He brings the moon to our door, He makes the impossible, possible. And when you have this Grace, then you have everything. Everything that you've ever wanted is given to you, before you've even asked of it; you don't need to perform any rituals, you don't need to perform any specific ceremonies; there is no auspicious time, there is no inauspicious time, everything is given to you unasked, and you will never be forsaken. This is the nature of Grace, everything is carried in this Grace.


      Last year Swami said perhaps one of the most profound things I've heard, He said that, ‘The Guru-disciple relationship existed before creation.’ This means that for us to attain the Master is the greatest homecoming of the universe, the greatest homecoming of existence. The whole universe, the whole world celebrates when we come home to the Master, because it is the most fundamental thing of life – this connection with the Master. And when you go deep into this, if you contemplate on it, you will see that, the ultimate truth is simply this: nothing else exists apart from you and the Master. And I don't mean that as a kind of esoteric theory or perhaps a philosophical idea, I mean it as a practical, physical reality. Nothing else exists apart from you and the Master and everything you perceive with your senses is simply an outpouring of that relationship with the Master. When the gopis were performing the Rasa Leela, every single one of them had a monopoly, exclusivity on Krishna's heart. It sounds like a contradiction, how could so many people have monopoly on Krishna's heart?’ But it's the truth! Between you and the Master, nothing else exists. And when you come to the realisation that your connection with the Master is more real than what your senses are actually perceiving, then this is Grace, this is real Grace.



      I would say that the fact that we are here, the fact that we have some insight, however small that Swami is Divine in nature is a sign that, that Grace is waiting to realised. It is a sign that the homecoming is imminent. It's a sign that the Lord in His mercy has decided to take your file out of the cosmic archives and say, ‘I want this one to come home.’ That's what it means to have Swami in your life. You may not think you're a great devotee or you're great disciple; you may not think you're very close or very highly evolved. But nevertheless, the fact that you have Swami in your life is a sign that this Grace is waiting to be realised.

      And so if we look over the last year, Swami has given the Bhagavad Gita, the Guru Gita, He has given the Dynamic Darshan, walking amongst us. He's developing a new shastra on Twitter, and He has given us a new logo. So He has given Bhakti Marga so much over the last year. But we should never say this is enough, we never close the book on the relationship with the Master. It goes on and on and on, it never ends. Can you imagine Radharani saying to Krishna, ‘This love is enough, I've had enough, we can call it a day now. This is it!’ It doesn’t happen. So like that, we should never close the book on the Master, because often we think that God-Realisation is like a big marathon, that we have to keep running, and running, and running, and eventually we collapse over the finish line and say, ‘At last I'm God-Realised, ahh!’ And then we celebrate the fact that we can finally relax being God-Realised. But devotion is not like that, in fact it's the opposite. We should hit the peak of our experience now with the Master. And then it just gets better and better and better. It should leave from fulfilment to even more fulfilment to even more fulfilment. That's how devotion should work. Swami always says that in bhakti, there's no end to it, there's always another corner to turn. And so, going forward to 2015, this is what we should be praying for, this is what we should be yearning for, that this Grace that is already there, will be realised. Jai Gurudev!"

      - Mayuran, London, UK
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      Darshan and Concert in Tokyo

      January 17, 2015, 3:43 pm
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      Sri Swami Vishwananda gave Darshan in Tokyo on Friday.


      Alongside the Bhakti Marga Bhajan band playing a concert, Guruji gave his first darshan ever in Japan.

      Swamini VishwaDayamati giving an opening introduction
      Musicians waiting for the concert to start backstage








      Here is an excerpt of the speech he gave:

      "This Love is who we are. It's only Him. We have to realise this Love.

      Everybody has love. You feel it when you freshly fall in love, no? Then what happens? The beginning is very nice and after that? The love transforms, no? Sometimes, it should go bigger, stronger, but sadly, very often, it goes down. That's why you say you 'fall in love'! Whereas, in spirituality we say we 'rise in love', because it's not a love which is based on the outside. It's not a love which is based on security or, “I love you, or like you because of something.” No, find this love inside of you! This is the essence of who you are. This is your nature. The nature of human beings is to love.

      Same, the nature of fire is heat. The nature of water is cool. The nature of human being is to love. To become love! One will say it's very difficult, but in reality, no, it's not difficult. If you sincerely want something, how can there be difficulty into it? If you sincerely want something, what do you do? You do anything to get it, isn't it? Am I right? You will do anything. Same thing, for this eternal Love which you carry always, you know, you should try your best to awaken it. You should try your best to become it! Then you can say truly "you love". Otherwise, you are just in a human beings who pass through life after life, from one body to the other. What do you achieve? Nothing! You go in the same cycle, birth and death, birth and death, birth and death.

      By realising this love inside of you, it will awake devotion in your heart. Devotion to the Lord, you know. And when you have that love and devotion, He will run to you. Same, earlier I was talking about Mirabai, no? She had great devotion to the Lord. Whenever she would sing the Lord would be present. And, of course, if the saints can do that, they are examples. You just need to sincerely want it. Due to that sincerity, it will manifest. It will start burning you, inside of your heart. And this love, when it starts burning inside, even if you want to think, it's very difficult. Even if it sounds difficult, sounds very far away of attaining, one should try it. That's why I said, the essence of who you are is this love and that through this love He has made you a human being.

      First you have to realise the humanness of yourself. Otherwise, jealousy, pride, ego, hate, this takes over. So, when this takes over, can you call somebody a human being? These are animal qualities, lower qualities. So, one can't call oneself a human being if you have these - anger, jealousy, hatred. To be called a human being you have to have this love. That's why the Divine continuously reminds oneself, you know, that it is important to love.

      You see, it is important to forget about the worry, not to meditate on that. So, meditate on what is the most important. Because, when you sit down for your sadhana, your spiritual practice, you have to perceive the Lord inside of your heart. Then only you can attain Him, you can attain His grace, because with grace, everything is possible. Even things which are impossible in this world, through the Divine grace It makes it simple. So, the basic thing is to realise this love inside of you. Then you will see, you will feel that He is ever with you. You are never alone!

      So, Jai Gurudev!"

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      Satsang on the meaning of the "New Era"

      January 18, 2015, 12:30 am
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      To bring in the new year of 2015, Sri Swami Vishwananda unveiled a new logo for Bhakti Marga, along with an accompanying slogan: "Awakening of a New Era". During a late night satsang a few days later, we got a chance to find out what is meant by "a New Era", when Swamiji explained the logo and the meaning behind it.


      Check out more videos of Swamiji on the Bhakti Marga YouTube channel, and subscribe!

      https://www.youtube.com/user/bhaktimarga108
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      Satsang in Tokyo

      January 19, 2015, 7:55 am
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      Satsang in Tokyo



      On Saturday the 17th of January Swamiji gave Satsang in Tokyo at the Yogastudio ZEN. Approximately 70 people squeezed into a rather small room to make for a very cozy atmosphere. Many of the people had also been presented the day before at the concert and Darshan and were excited to continue their newly-started connection with Swamiji!

      Anuprabha was helping some of the Japanese matajis to put on their tilaks, explaining to them the meaning of it and they were all very excited!

      Swamiji began the Satsang by asking the devotees to participate in the bhajans and sing. In fact he asked them to sing him a Japanese spiritual song! They happily obliged and sang him a couple of beautiful songs with everyone joining in.

      What had originally been planned as a 2 hour Satsang ended up lasting over 4 hours! Swamiji addressed many questions regarding Japan as a country and the role its people will serve in this new age of awakening. Swami said that the people of Japan should not forget their roots and should honour and uphold their rich culture. It has taught them many strong values that are very beneficial on the spiritual path. He said that Japan will serve as an example of discipline and dedication to the rest of the world.




      Later on a question came up about controlling one’s anger. Swamiji said that if we knew the amount of energy we waste in getting angry we would all think twice before giving in to our anger! It takes so much effort from our side to replenish all that lost energy! The key to overcoming our anger is choice. Swami reminded us that we all have a stage before the anger takes over in which we are given the choice whether to dive head-first into the drama of the situation or stay out of it. That choice is the key to our peace and transformation.


      After the devotees gathered had received all the invaluable wisdom they could handle, Swamiji gathered with some devotees for dinner at a nearby Indian restaurant and spent plenty of time speaking to all the eager devotees and sharing his love with all of them.


      It was a long day but a hugely enjoyable one for all of us. The next day would take Swami and his entourage to the province of Nagano so stay tuned for the report of that hugely successful trip!
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      OM Healing Intl - Seva Position Opening

      January 22, 2015, 2:43 am
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      The Shree Peetha Nilaya ashram is looking for a female Assistant (if possible Brahmacharini) for OM Healing International.


      The person who would meet the necessary requirements for this position would have the opportunity to live, to work, to pray, and to experience spirituality with the community here in Shree Peetha Nilaya while serving Sri Swami Vishwananda and his mission.

      For this position it is necessary to have good organisational skills and good spoken & written English (ideally also German) for the following tasks:

      - Updating the OM Healing website on a regular basis
      - Administrating the OMH Database
      - Writing, organising translation, and mailing of OMH Newsletter.
      - Various administrational and organisational OMH tasks in Shree Peetha Nilaya

      Approx. time needed: 25-40 h/week

      If you think that you may be the person for this position please send your CV and application letter via e-mail to Sister Nectaria omhealing@atmakriya.org



      In your application letter, please include:
      • your full name (legal and spiritual)
      • date of birth
      • home address and e-mail
      • your prior experience/abilities and skills (cv)
      • a current picture
      • why you want to apply for this job
      • what selfless service/seva means to you
      • Do you have already other seva experiences here in SPN? If yes, in which area?
      • and any other information you think may be useful for us to know about you

      After receiving your application we will contact you via email and, if we think that you might be an appropriate match for this position, arrange for a trial visit and work probation here in Shree Peetha Nilaya.
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      Sri Swami Vishwananda in Nagano Japan - a Photo/Twitter Essay

      January 22, 2015, 4:00 am
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      The Locked Car

      January 22, 2015, 6:00 am
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      Muktananda witnessed an incident that occurred here at Shree Peetha Nilaya between Sri Swami Vishwananda and some guests during the last darshan here, and wrote about it to share with you:


      Early Sunday afternoon I came to the entrance hall of the centre, when I saw Guruji conferring with "Father and Daughter", who were about to leave after lunch. They had participated at the last Darshan in Shree Peetha Nilaya, and after the overnight stay they also attended the morning prayers. But the trip home became a bit difficult as the car key stuck in the ignition and the electronics of the car had automatically locked the doors. They could not get into their car anymore.

      The daughter (about 17 years old) was at the centre for the first time and she was quite impressed by Guruji’s energy, presence and personality, yet her mind was laden with so many sincere questions concerning some of the 'rituals'. …. Who doesn't know that?

      When Guruji left the hall – followed by the two and by Chidaananda (holding a brick in his hand) and Pankaj – I opened the entrance door and we found ourselves in front of Guruji’s golf cart in which he and Pankaji already were seated and ready to leave. After short "small talk“ either the father or the daughter asked first "Swami, you could open the car". They all agreed and repeated "Yes Swami, you could open the car." On that Guruji replied "Maybe I can, maybe not" - and then added "What are you now going to do?"


      The father said that he could call a car repair shop so that someone could come and open the car. "This is very expensive" replied Guruji and the father agreed with that.

      "If I would open the car, this would cost you a lot", Guruji then said. And after the father asked, "How much it would cost?", he replied, "Well, you would have to quit smoking.""OK, I’ll do that", said the father and we then were kidding around with that for a moment.

      "Muktananda can help you to open the car", said Guruji finally and turning towards me he said "You should try to press the window from the outside downwards, and then open the lock with a tool through the gap and thus open the door." Then he drove away and shouted to the father that he should not promise what he could not keep. It seemed that Swami knew that he would not be able to keep the promise to stop smoking.

      Anyway, Guruji went and I was looking for a suitable "tool". Right next to us were some snow shovels at the wall and one of them seemed to fit for that purpose. We cleaned it without giving too much thought to it and headed onwards to the car. We thought, "When Guruji says that it will work, then it will be like that." - no matter what the mind says should be in accordance with modern and conservative physics, for example.

      After about 100 meters we reached the car. I saw the key in the ignition and was looking for the point where to apply the snow shovel at the window, while the father went to the door, put his hand on the door handle – and the door opened just like that!

      ........??!! ...................."It is open??!!“ .................??!! ...............??!!!!

      You can imagine our faces….. Just like in the movie….You know that.

      Now the two confirmed to each other, repeating that they had made certain, that the doors were locked. They already wanted to be on their way, but they could not get into their car, because the doors were locked - that’s why they came back into the building.

      Many thoughts wandered through our minds…… and the soul was happy!! It jumped around and danced – and still does – out of amusement about three rather flabbergasted minds, which came once again a little bit closer to the "bigger" life. Certainly not only asking, "How in the world could Guruji open the car?!"….. but probably also "How can I now stop with smoking?!"…. and perhaps also "What am I going to do with this big experience, wrapped up in this tiny occurrence?!"

      Guruji once said: "The master can give you EVERYTHING in a tiny drop." Now it is up to us how much we draw out of this little drop.

      How is it said in the proverb? What you inherit from your fathers, acquire it to own it, or to apply it to this situation: What you get from your Master, go deep into it to get the maximum profit, not only for yourself, but for the whole world! Our souls are longing for true, unrestrained lived, open hearted joy.

      Thank you Guruji, thank you!

      Guruji has come here to earth to open our hearts and sometimes even cars – if needed :)

      Yet, what did Guruji say to the father: "It will cost you a lot, if I open the car. You have to quit smoking." Now, if it costs that to open a car door, what might it cost to open our heart’s door?! It will cost much more. It will cost the ego and all that it represents. Are you ready for that? The master is not only a master in encoding messages, he is also the “unlocker” of all locks on all levels and realities.

      Listen to the call of our hearts and send us your grace, beloved master. Do not listen to our ego that is afraid of you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and souls, beloved Guredeva, Sri Swami Vishwananda.

      Gratefully,
      Muktananda
      ↧
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