On the Siddha Yoga path, we learn—and we have the experience—that the teachings of theGuru transcend such differences as race, religion, nationality, and cultural background. Itissomething that our Guru, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, spoke about as recently as Mahashivaratri of this year. It is also a principle that Gurumayi’s Guru, Baba Muktananda, would teach about often in satsang.
Every year on Easter, I am reminded of this truth. I did not grow up observing Easter (at least not in the traditional, religious sense), but because of Gurumayi’s teachings about Easter, because of the respect she has always given to what it symbolizes, I have come to feel a special affinity for this holiday. Easter, as Gurumayi teaches, is a time of awakening and reawakening. It is a time to remember the value of life.
These themes were evident in the Siddha Yoga satsang that Gurumayi held on April 4, 2026, inhonor of the Easter holiday. The satsang, titled “Breathe In the Spirit of Spring,” was live video streamed from the Bhagavan Nityananda Temple in Shree Muktananda Ashram. It took place within the Siddha Yoga Universal Hall—“the scintillating blue dome,” as Gurumayi has called it.
During the satsang, we invoked Lord Shiva—the Adi Guru, the supreme Self personified, hewho oversees all the many movements and fluctuations of this manifest universe. Under the Lord’s auspices, life begins and ends and begins again. We listened to the kinetic beat ofthe damaru, Lord Shiva’s drum, which resonates with the primordial sound AUM—and to the exultant hymn “Shiva Shiva Shiva,” sung by the music ensemble. We chanted the namasankirtana Jaya Jaya Shiva Shambho in the majestic Darbariraga, after which we offered arati to the Guru. We also listened to Ben Williams, a scholar of Sanskrit and South Asian religions, as he spoke to us from Kashi (also known as Varanasi or Benares). This city in the north of India is renowned in Indian culture and scripture for being a dwelling place of Lord Shiva.
At Gurumayi’s request, Ben read a passage that she had selected from Baba Muktananda’s spiritual autobiography, Play of Consciousness. Ben later shared with me that this is his favorite passage from Play ofConsciousness. It is one that he has contemplated deeply since he first read it as a teenager, and he has shared and discussed this story with many Siddha Yogis and friends over the years. So when Ben received Gurumayi’s request to read it, he was astonished by the synchronicity.
Not only that, Ben told me that for the past two years, he has been engaging in an extensive study of Baba’s words. He has made it a practice to read excerpts from Baba’s books every morning before chanting and meditating. Ben said, “This was one of the most beautiful and well-timed seva invitations I have ever received: to read Baba’s words, which I have recently been forging a whole new relationship with, and to then discover that the passage was one Iloved so dearly.”
In the passage, Baba recounts the story of a saint who was approaching his death. The saint, who knew that his time on earth was nearing its end, made a point of thanking those that had supported him throughout his life. Lastly, he thanked his own body. Baba details the specific expressions of gratitude that the saint makes to his body, and then Baba encapsulates the key lesson for us to learn from this story.
For this next “Meditation” on the Guru’s words, Gurumayi has asked that I focus on Baba’s words from Play ofConsciousness. Gurumayi explained that it is imperative for people to understand what Baba is conveying to us here about the value of the human body and of human life. Too often in this world, human life is treated as expendable. Every day, lives are being lost to war, disease, famine, natural disasters, and other tragedies of this kind. As I’ve written before, it is easy to become desensitized to death when it happens so relentlessly around us, and at such a massive scale. This is perhaps especially the case when these deaths feel removed from us—when they don’t immediately affect those we know or the groups that we identify with.
I think what can happen, when we get so used to death—and death en masse, to put it baldly, death occurring in ways that might register as shocking if they weren’t so common—is that life, too, loses some of its sheen in our eyes. It seems paradoxical, I know. But I do believe that a kind of fatalism can set in when we accept, on some level, that this is how the world works. That others die, that we die, that we are all just numbers waiting to be called. We can become irreverent in our approach to life—in how we treat ourselves, in how we are with others. The unspoken question—the question that rattles just beneath the surface of our conscious mind—is: “What does it matter?”
One reason the Gurus’ teachings are so powerful is that when we work with these teachings—when we contemplate them with diligence and care—we can arrive at an answer to this question. We can experience that answer. Life does matter. We know it in our being. Life is precious. We can list the numerous reasons why.
This next “Meditation” will be a little different from those previous. For one thing, I’ll be focusing on Baba’s words. Additionally, I’ll be keeping my contemplations a little more…concise…this time around. I’ve spoken about how wonderfully insightful your comments have been in response to “Meditation on Gurumayi’s Words”—how it’s clear that you have been thinking deeply about the Guru’s words and about the thoughts and questions that I have been sharing about these words. Our digital Sadhana Circle has been a fertile source of inspiration and learning—certainly for me, and I hope for you as well.
So, in a way, I am turning it over to you this month. Of course, I will still be sharing some of what I think. I’ll still be inviting you to consider the same questions that I’m asking of myself. But I’m eager for your thoughts to take center stage—and for us to discover, together, just how vibrantly alive and relevant Baba’s words remain fifty-plus years after he wrote them.
“Meditation on Swami Muktananda’s Words” will be featured in installments throughout April and May on the Siddha Yoga path website. It is, as I believe you’d agree, a most fitting way to usher in the spring season and our celebration of Baba Muktananda’s birthday month in May.
I recently participated in a Muktananda Dhyana Saptah and spent the day in silence and meditation. During the pauses, I chose to read Baba’s teachings from Play of Consciousness. I have read this book before in Gujarati and Hindi, but this time I chose to read it in English to experience it in a fresh way.
This felt miraculous! The simplicity and depth of Baba’s words touched my heart directly. Reading Baba’s words, my mind agrees; there is no confusion, no question. My heart follows; there is no dilemma, no doubt. When I read Baba’s words, I feel as though they are arising from within me. They are so profound and powerful.
I am grateful for Eesha’s brevity and simplicity. This helps me as a student to remain focused on my Guru’s words. For me, fewer words carry a sense of silence in them, allowing the teachings to settle more deeply within me.
Thane West, India
In my Sadhana Circle, we read Eesha’s Introduction and shared our thoughts, contemplation, and insights. One of the members is an elder who had recently undergone surgery. She shared that she was giving up thinking about liberation and would continue her sadhana in the next lifetime; she expressed a wish to take birth in the best family.
I shared that I will give my full effort to sadhana until my last breath. We have received shaktipat in this body and Gurumayi’s guidance in this lifetime. I take the resolve to experience the path of enlightenment in this lifetime, without thinking about a next birth.
Hearing this, this woman’s despair and hopelessness disappeared; her face glowed with confidence and enthusiasm.
Everyone agreed to continue their self-effort, take good care of their own body, and give their best.
I am grateful to Gurumayi ji and Baba ji, for this wonderful teaching so that we will care for our bodies. We plan to read the entire chapter “The Path of Love” from Baba’s book, Play of Consciousness in Hindi as homework for the next Sadhana Circle.
Pune, India
When I ask myself what value my human body holds for me, I realize that this contemplation will never end.
There is so much I can do and experience with my human body! It is a complex tool that has been given to me.
For me, my body has indescribable value. With it, I can experience love—love so vast that it surges through my entire body and floods my mind until my mind experiences nothing but divine ecstasy.
This world is so beautiful and, for me, a vast, fascinating playground of adventure. It seems to me as though God wishes to experience himself and try out all his possibilities.
Konolfingen, Switzerland
I read “The Path of Love,” the chapter in Play of Consciousness containing the words of Baba that Ben read in the satsang.
All my life I’ve had trouble loving my body, and I have not always treated it well. I’ve longed for a way to change this but, until now, have not been able to find it.
Baba’s beautiful description of the crucial connection between the body and love shows me a way to change my attitude. Through his words, Baba taught me that love is both the reason and the answer. This new understanding makes me enthusiastic to deeply contemplate Baba’s words and to put them into action. I am left with overflowing love and gratitude for our beloved Gurus.
Melbourne, Australia
Reading Eesha’s words makes me want to contemplate the value of my own life. Based on my experiences and understanding, I realize that the purpose of my life is to uplift my soul.
One day, while climbing a mountain, I turned to look at the valley. The houses were tiny, sounds were dissolved in silence, and a deep sense of freedom began to shine in me. The drama of the world had disappeared.
When I reached the summit and took in the 360-degree view, I experienced a sense of unity.
Thinking of Mount Kailas inspires me to climb toward union with Lord Shiva, supreme Consciousness. The image of that natural temple leads me to meditate in the temple of my human body.
For me, this is why life is so precious. I was given a human body to consciously merge my individual soul with God’s universe.
In this Easter time, I find it auspicious to reawaken my commitment to that inner ascent, which is revealed throughout nature, and to continue to ascend the path of sadhana with enthusiasm.
Rodez, France
One thing in particular stood out to me in Baba’s story: The saint who knew he was nearing physical death thanked others and also thanked his own body. To me these actions imply that it is important to remind each other—and ourselves—of the value of living in a human form.
New York, United States
I’m so happy that Eesha’s writings are present on the Siddha Yoga path website. Every time I read her reflections on our Gurus’ teachings, I can’t help but be moved by the truths she writes about.
I feel privileged to be part of this “digital Sadhana Circle,” which I find so accessible, understandable, and uplifting.
Knowing that a time dedicated to the words of Swami Muktananda awaits us fills my heart. My mind is drawn to positive thoughts, and I become aware of my body and of my commitment to continually thank it, as Baba teaches in his book Play of Consciousness.
I can’t wait to read the next “Meditation on Swami Muktananda’s Words.” In the meantime, I will let myself be nurtured by recalling the “Breathe In the Spirit of Spring” satsang with gratitude, respect, and love for my beloved Gurumayi.
San Giorgio a Cremano, Italy
For several years my body has experienced pain and exhaustion due to an illness. Nonetheless, I am grateful for my life. Though my ability to engage in formal practices is limited, I continue to cherish, contemplate, and honor the Siddha Yoga teachings—as I have for thirty-three years. My prayer is for all to gain liberation and find peace.
Arkansas, United States
The prospect of the upcoming reflections on these teachings, supported by the Siddha Yoga teachers and community, has already started to bring a more concise clarity to my sadhana.
To escape my tendency to “rearrange chairs” or get lost in my own “blah blah blah,” I will be disciplined in my approach to sadhana.
As each day brings opportunities to strengthen my connection to the Self, and as I increasingly experience my inner “lightness of being,” I will make time to include reading and sharing my reflections.
Sydney, Australia
I was asking Baba, inwardly, how I should perform my sadhana. Then I read Eesha’s “Meditation on Swami Muktananda’s Words.”
When I finished reading, I was more conscious of my body. I recalled Baba’s words about the sacredness of the body. I felt respect toward it as well as toward the body of every person I saw. It didn’t matter how tall or how short they were—all of them were sacred in my eyes.
It was cold, so I put on a sweater to cover my sacred body. I kept feeling this inner silence. Baba’s words are alive; they gave me the experience of my inner Self. I realized that holding onto the Guru’s words is a great way for me to perform my sadhana.
Madrid, Spain
At the time I met Baba, I was passionate about mountain climbing and hanging off cliffs. I felt close to God and to life when I encountered the possibility of my own death. I wanted to “conquer” my fear of death.
One day during darshan, I looked into Baba’s eyes and knew to the core of my being that Baba dwelt in “full aliveness” and that I did not have to hang off a scary cliff to feel alive. It was within me—not outside!
As my meditation practice has steadily deepened, I have come to know with certainty that this “aliveness,” which I now recognize as the presence of my Guru, is not only within me but also before me. This luminous presence—this “I”—is eternal. My Guru will be with me always.
Now, at seventy-two, my body tells me every day that time is passing and this wondrous body is wearing out. This keeps me vigilant in taking extra good care of it and allows me to live today more fully.
New York, United States
In thinking about the value of the human body, I recalled that it was through the practice of hatha yoga that I first became interested in meditation. It was through the discipline and rigor of the physical asanas, or poses, that I began to experience a stillness in myself, a quieting of my mind and slowing of my breath, which I recognized to be aspects of meditation.
This recognition piqued my interest, and my interest became a longing within to understand the purpose of my life, and to find a living Master, a Guru, who could guide me to that understanding. Eventually my search brought me to Baba and the blessed gift of shaktipat over fifty years ago.
So I have my own body to thank for leading me to my Guru—and for supporting me to do the Siddha Yoga practices of seva, chanting, and meditation ever since!
California, United States
I am so grateful to have experienced the divine awakening through shaktipat, because it has given me a direct experience of how precious life is since we carry divinity in our beings. I have learned to see everyone and everything as so valuable, and also learned the need to take care of my body as a temple.
I am so grateful to Gurumayi for her presence in my life and her teachings more valuable than gold.
Massachusetts, United States
To me, understanding the value of a human birth is about understanding who is occupying the body. I see the human body as a physical facilitator—and as a costume or mask—that carries all the “equipment” required to have a physical experience.
When I ask, “Who or what makes the body so priceless?” my answer is that God is the one in residence, the one having the experience. To take away the life force of someone is therefore to deny the Lord a valuable and particular experience. So for me, it is the occupant hidden within who makes the body priceless.
When I first realized that my body was a two-legged vehicle which the Lord was using to have a physical experience in this physical reality, I fell into an incredulous silence for about two days. I saw that when I deem a person to be pretty or ugly, black or white, or anything else, I am describing a mask. Awe and wonderment should be my response instead.
Essex, United Kingdom
One part of the Easter satsang with Gurumayi that palpably resonated inside me was the reading of Baba’s words from Play of Consciousness. Ben Williams’ obviously deep engagement with Baba’s words was a catalyst that gripped my heart and made me yearn to go deeper into them.
Turning to Play of Consciousness, I found the quotation Ben had read in the chapter titled, “The Path of Love.” As I held these chaitanya words in my heart, they seemed to be telling me: “Wake up! The time is now.” And since I am doing what I call the sadhana of “Old is gold”—a philosophy Gurumayi told us about on Makara Sankranti—I rejoiced that since January 1, I have been honoring my body with wholesome, light, fresh foods. Among the many golden benefits is a lightness in my body, inspiring a youthful inner glow that gives me get-up-and-go.
Increasingly, I find myself loving my life in this dear body and cherishing the chance to do sadhana toward attaining the highest state in this lifetime!
Washington, United States
As I drove to the local Siddha Yoga meditation center on the morning of the “Breathe In the Spirit of Spring” satsang, I had the awareness that a question was being posed in my mind. The moment felt so true, a reminder of something vitally important to consider: “How have I been taking care of my body lately?”
Over seventy-three years I have sometimes taken this body for granted. It seemed as if asking this question marked a small but powerful new beginning. My heart filled with gratitude as I remembered how forgiving and resilient my body has been. I made a commitment to restart walks outdoors and pay closer attention to other aspects of self-care. As I have followed through, I have been sending my thanks in prayers and blessings to the world.
The synchronicity of this experience and Gurumayi’s story of Baba’s words in the satsang brought such validation and inner peace. I am so grateful for Shri Guru’s protection and grace.
New Mexico, United States
It is and will be an honor throughout the month of April to contemplate Baba’s words. Whenever I contemplate Baba’s words, I feel their power and their truth. I have also come to appreciate my precious life more and more, and to feel great compassion for those who do not or cannot appreciate their own, for whatever reason. I am so grateful that Baba’s words continue to resonate throughout time!
California, United States
I am immensely grateful that Gurumayi is giving us the focus of studying Baba’s words about “the value of the human body and of human life.”
When I read the news each day, I notice exactly what Eesha is describing: “Every day, lives are being lost to war, disease, famine, natural disasters, and other tragedies of this kind… It is easy to become desensitized to death when it happens so relentlessly around us, and at such a massive scale.”
I have been finding it overwhelming to read about lives senselessly lost and find myself needing to distance myself from thinking about these situations that I feel helpless to improve.
I am looking forward to seeing how my perspective shifts as I study and steep myself in Baba’s teachings in this series, “Meditation on Swami Muktananda’s Words.”
I am grateful to have a living Guru who gives me a focus of study that is so timely for me in my own sadhana and at this time in human existence.
California, United States
This morning I reread Eesha’s introduction, and then I sat for meditation.
As I meditated, I experienced light in my being and the presence of divine energy in my body. I was very excited to think, “This is what Baba is talking about—why the body is so valuable. I can experience God’s presence right here in my own body.” I began feeling so much gratitude for my beautiful body. I gently massaged my head, then my neck, my shoulders, and so on, and thanked each part of my body as I did. I also thanked God for giving me this body.
My efforts to study Eesha’s introduction seemed to bear fruit immediately! I am grateful to Gurumayi for giving us this focus of study. I am eager to learn how my inner experience of the sacredness of my body and my life will affect my relationship to the outer world and its unfolding of events.
California, United States
I am so grateful for this sweet introduction. I am looking forward to immersing myself deeper in Baba’s teachings and reconnecting with an appreciation of the sacredness of life.
As I start to anticipate our learning focus for this month, one thing I am aware of is that I intend to read each installment slowly… to come to them with focus and attention, to allow myself to linger over them so that the full glory of Baba’s teachings can shine forth inside myself.
