Swami ji's exposition on the intellect is like a soothing balm for me. As one who lives much in the life of the mind, I am deeply grateful to learn about the true meaning of what it is to cultivate intellect.
The school year has just begun. This exposition will be a light on the path throughout my year.
a Siddha Yogi from Virginia, United States
As I read this beautiful passage, a space opens inside me that brings stillness and clarity. I am reminded of how I can experience
satsang in nature. I see balance between the spontaneous experience and the intellect. I am beginning to understand the true meaning of
Satsang.
Thank you, Gurumayi, for the many ways that your Message touches my life.
a Siddha Yogi from Sydney, Australia
Swami Akhandanana's words form an exquisite spiral in my mind, a reflection on the very nature of reflection. The text, to me, embodies the concepts presented. As I read, I am learning the very process by which I am learning. A mirror has been held up through these teachings.
Thank you, Gurumayi, from the bottom of my heart for these insights.
a Siddha Yogi from St. Lazare, Canada
As I read Swami ji’s exposition, I asked myself how I could apply the teaching in it to a challenging conversation I needed to have that day.
The answer that came to me was to remember the unity in all things: despite all the surface differences in behaviors and attitudes, the inner core of Consciousness is present and the same in all living beings.
Grasping this realization with my intellect, and holding it in memory, directs me to approach people with respect, even when our principal views are different, and even when the differences may fuel strong feelings.
I understood that when my actions and words reflect this realization, it can inspire a similar realization in others. The flow of energy between us can lead to a mutual understanding and unity.
I am grateful for Swami ji’s exposition.
Thank you, Gurumayi, for your guidance!
a Siddha Yogi from California, United States
What a wonderful and clear exposition! How sweet and poetic are the words and the energy behind those words.
When Swami ji narrated his encounter with the deer, I could really experience what he was describing. A wave of sweet love and recognition bathed my entire being. Such beauty in this recognition! I was filled with joy after reading of this encounter because I often see this great Consciousness in the eyes of animals.
a Siddha Yogi from Rome, Italy
I was inspired by the photograph accompanying Swami ji’s exposition, in which trees are reflected in a calm body of water.
The deep stillness in the reflection reminded me of
paurusha-jnana—the “direct or innate knowledge”—that the Guru awakens through the bestowal of
shaktipat. And for me, the green landscape above it represented
bauddha-
jnana—“knowledge rooted in the intellect.”
The arched branch that merges with its reflection creating a circle represents for me the relationship between these two types of intellect.
This is the space where my study and self-effort impact my spiritual expansion and lead me to the awareness and experience of the Truth.
a Siddha Yogi from Michigan, United States
Recently, as I was reflecting on Gurumayi's Message for 2018, I realized that the greatest gift for me in studying it has been the development of greater knowledge—the kind of knowledge that Swami ji identifies as
bauddha jnana.
The pathway laid out in this exposition for understanding the significance of the intellect for our
sadhana has put this experience of mine into perspective. Swami ji invited us to ask ourselves, "What are some ways I can use my intellect to apply Gurumayi's direction?" in order "to uncover the one Principle, the one Truth."
One way I have been doing this is through the practice of learning by heart specific teachings of Gurumayi that relate to
satsang. As I repeat this practice over time, I have found that I reach a level of expanded connection to supreme Consciousness. I become absorbed in the Guru's words as the very Truth I seek. This process of purifying my intellect has brought me incredible joy and nourishment, as well as alignment with my deepest nature.
a Siddha Yogi from Maryland, United States
Swami Akhananda's exposition helped me understand an experience I had recently.
Before my morning meditations, I've been reading Baba’s commentaries on the
Shiva Sutra in his book
Nothing Exists That is Not Shiva. After meditating, I ponder their central theme: that the entire universe is nothing but Shiva.
One morning, as I was joyfully chanting in my car on the way to a business client, I remembered that I needed to call another client. At first, I didn’t want to interrupt the chant. But then I remembered the
Shiva Sutra, and told myself, "Well, if everything is Shiva, then this client I need to call is also Shiva." I smiled as I pulled over to the side to make the call. As I spoke with this person, I felt I was speaking with Shiva! After the conversation I resumed chanting, reveling in the awareness of the oneness of everything.
I now see more clearly how the
bauddha jnana I'd gained through studying Baba's commentaries helped bring me to the experience of
paurusha jnana in my conversation with the client.
a Siddha Yogi from New Jersey, United States