Dear Siddhayogis,

By way of introduction, my name is Ganapati Buga and I am writing to you on behalf of the management of the SYDA Foundation. Since my initiation into Siddha Yoga in 1974, I have offered seva in the management area and currently I serve as Secretary to the Board of Trustees of SYDA Foundation. In this letter, I'd like to provide an overview of the scope of the Siddha Yoga mission and share the latest news about the plans for Shree Muktananda Ashram.

This letter is addressed to you as “siddhayogis” because that is who we are – we have received shaktipat from the Siddha Guru and we have made an on-going commitment to pursue knowledge of the Self. As siddhayogis, we strive to become anchored in the Self through continuous, dynamic engagement with the Siddha Yoga teachings in every aspect of our lives. Over all these years, it has been fulfilling for me to see how everyone and everything that we come in contact with benefits from our effort to practice the teachings and to serve the Siddha Yoga path.

As you may know, the SYDA Foundation was created to support what Swami Muktananda called “the meditation revolution.” Since Baba's Mahasamadhi twenty-three years ago, Siddha Yoga meditation has continued to flourish under the auspices of Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, the spiritual head of the Siddha Yoga mission.

The heart of this mission is twofold: the pursuit of knowledge of the Self, and service to humanity so that people can, in turn, help one another. To this end, the SYDA Foundation disseminates Siddha Yoga philosophy and culture. The mission also includes the Muktabodha Indological Research Institute, PRASAD Project, and PRASAD Chikitsa. The Muktabodha Indological Research Institute, founded by Gurumayi in 1997, preserves the spiritual wisdom of India by supporting scholarly research and the translation of ancient scriptural texts. PRASAD Project and PRASAD Chikitsa in India are the humanitarian projects initiated by Gurumayi in the early ‘90's to uplift the quality of life for people living in conditions of poverty.

Shree Muktananda Ashram in South Fallsburg, New York, has been an international retreat site for 26 years. People from all over the world, in large numbers, have gathered to study Siddha Yoga philosophy and culture and to follow the daily schedule of Siddha Yoga practices. For a number of years, there has also been a greater effort to spread the teaching and learning activities, once primarily focused at Shree Muktananda Ashram, more widely around the world.

While continuing the shift to a broader global distribution of activities through retreats, learning guides, Intensives, home study courses and so on, the Board of Trustees and management are also reducing a significant number of organizational functions and, in turn, seva positions at Shree Muktananda Ashram. The purpose is to create an efficient and effective organization, one that is sustainable for successive generations. The process of reducing functions and seva positions has been underway since 2001 and will continue until the process is complete. As new systems are created to support this shift, the Siddha Yoga mission will be served through an increase in home and community-based seva.

The long-range plan for Shree Muktananda Ashram is to develop the ashram along the lines of Gurudev Siddha Peeth, our mother ashram in India . The goal of this plan is that retreat participants will pursue in-depth Siddha Yoga studies and immerse themselves in following the daily schedule more efficiently and effectively. It will take several years to make the changes necessary to realize this goal. Until then, Shree Muktananda Ashram will continue to function as an ashram solely for long-term retreat participants offering full time seva and those participating in specific short-term seva projects that are paramount to achieving this goal. Over the course of this time, letters such as this one will keep you informed of how the plan for Shree Muktananda Ashram is moving forward.

I want to take this opportunity to express management's appreciation for your seva and dakshina and for the ideas, thoughts and suggestions you've sent from around the world. I also want to respond to an inquiry many of you have made: “Will there be satsangs and Intensives and Teaching visits with Gurumayi?” What I want to communicate at this point is a strong “Yes” and, right now, there are no definite dates or locations.

For so many of us, the Siddha Yoga mission has become the focal point of our lives and we recognize that the support we give to the Siddha Yoga mission—through seva and dakshina, through study and application of Siddha Yoga philosophy and culture—gives us the experience of amazing grace. So let us continue to participate in all the Siddha Yoga practices and teaching activities to make this world a better paradise.

May we be united in the spirit of supporting the Siddha Yoga mission and taking responsibility for its future.

With best wishes,

Ganapati Buga
On behalf of the Management of SYDA