Many years ago, there was a long and difficult period in my life when adversity seemed present in every direction I looked. I was going through the process of divorce and facing many fears. During that time the Siddha Yoga teachings were my anchor.

One day when I was experiencing deep emotional pain, suddenly—yet gently—that pain was transmuted into divine love that washed through my being. This experience changed my perspective on emotional pain. Ever since then, I have felt that divine love is present, even in the midst of emotional pain, and can be accessed through self-effort and the grace of the Guru.

North Carolina, United States

Baba’s words inspired me to practice awareness of Shiva at the still center of what must be endured. I do this by chanting to the divine Shakti. At my current stage in life, I am holding the awareness that the changes in my body—the natural and profound losses of old age—are the Shakti’s play, that nothing is wrong even though I do feel discomfort at times.

Creation from stillness. Sustenance. Dissolution. Stillness… I am deeply grateful for this path.

North Carolina, United States

When I look back over the more than forty years since Gurumayi bestowed shaktipat-diksha on me, I can see that my life has been like a roller-coaster ride with its share of adversities and challenges—but continuous gurusmaran has allowed me to endure the adversities. Whatever the outer situation may be, I lead my life with the awareness that Shri Gurumayi resides in my heart and that her grace and love form a shield to protect my inner being. Knowing that my Guru is within my heart has helped me to remain in a state of inner equipoise.

I very much appreciate Ganesh’s elucidation of Baba’s words, which led me to contemplate the ongoing connection with my inner core.

Lucknow, India

I loved the ending of the elucidation where Ganesh says joy resides within, “simply waiting to be remembered.” Recently, I experienced this. One morning I found myself stuck in a negative attitude, thinking about the controlling behavior of my neighbor. With Guru’s grace, I then took refuge within when my attention was drawn to Gurumayi’s Message for 2026. I decided to “reset” my mind, and soon, I was in deep meditation. The negativity disappeared, with hardly a trace. My path toward equanimity is to return to my true identity: oneness with God. The outer storm then really becomes easy to deal with. Peace lies within, and nobody can snatch my joy from me.

Dombivli, India

This teaching of Baba reminds me that whatever situations I encounter, I am always seeking a sense of unity. Unity contains freedom, contentment, and joy. The feeling of adversity brings an inner suffering, and, to go beyond this, I must meditate, going into the deepest part of myself where eternal joy resides.

When a feeling of adversity manifests for me in the presence of other people, what helps me achieve a sense of unity is time and patience. In this process, I find that remembering joy and benevolence and taking the support of the mantra are essential assets.

Rodez, France

Reflecting on this passage, I remembered my time in prison. I had the good fortune to be able to sit on my bunk and quietly recite Shri Guru Gita every day as well as read the book Jnaneshvar’s Gita again and again. Every day I knew that some annoyance would come up, yet my inner state became increasingly steady and inspired. During the daily times when the inmates were counted and we were to remain silent, I remember that a state of love would overtake me, and it seemed to expand into the entire dorm.

These were very blessed experiences in the midst of adversity, and I’m grateful to be reminded of them.

Florida, United States

Contemplating this teaching and the elucidation, I wondered what it means to endure and what it is that endures. I saw an image of a river cutting its way through rock and sustaining itself through broad valleys to finally join the sea.

I realized that through periods of adversity, the landscape of my life has been changed, and while some things were washed away, the ever-flowing grace has remained uninterrupted. I also realized that part of my underlying joy is the faith that sadhana continues and that the “river” is part of God’s ocean of boundless joy.

In the midst of pain, remembering that this is also Shiva has kept me connected to the practices and my love for sadhana. I don’t need to wait until the pain passes to experience joy.

Watson, Australia

Baba’s teaching is profound guidance that I have implemented in my sadhana over the last decade. I have learned to no longer fear my emotions but rather see them as waves in a sea that come and go. I do not need to resist them or try to stop their movement, nor do I need to wade endlessly in them and drown in their waters. Practicing this perspective over many years has infused my experience of life with a deep joy.

I find now that even in moments of sadness and grief, I perpetually feel a sparkling light inside of me, radiating its presence, peace, and happiness.

I am grateful to Baba and Gurumayi for the grace of their teachings. 

Pennsylvania, United States

I was so grateful to read Baba’s teaching and the elucidation! Reading it in the morning after a night of frightening dreams that had left me shaken was a boon. I held my small rose quartz depicting the figure of Lord Ganesh and prayed to Gurumayi for help.

I realized that the dreams were only passing and that they didn’t have to bring fear into my life. I understood that progress on the spiritual path does not always happen with ease. I remembered Baba’s writing in his autobiography Play of Consciousness about facing adversity and continuing his sadhana with full faith in Bhagavan Nityananda. And I realized that grace, entering my life in this way at this time, is a treasure from Gurumayi!

California, United States

Over the last few years my family has been facing challenges that, at times, seem insurmountable. We have endured, each of us drawing strength from the other.

Although the challenges continue, we often speak of the goodness that surrounds us. We find joy in each other. We are softened, held, and buoyed by the loving prayers and thoughts from the Siddha Yoga sangham.

For me, each day in meditation I rest in the pure truth of my own heart. There, I am aware of how close Gurumayi is. The quiet, full joy this brings sustains me, opening my awareness through the day to moment after moment of beauty, clarity and gratitude.

Hampton, Australia

I have been engaged in a legal struggle in which my earnest efforts to reach a fair and dharmic resolution have repeatedly been challenged. Although this process has taken a toll on me, my instinct has been to persevere and have faith. In recent days my yearning has intensified into a prayer to become free of this burden. The response was a clear inner communication to have forgiveness and compassion for the other person—which I made my best effort to do.

After participating in the Audio Satsang in Celebration of Baba Muktananda’s Birthday, something palpably shifted within me. The terrible weight of the recent weeks lifted, and I felt myself being liberated from the prison of my own thoughts, emotions, and reactions to my circumstances.

Then yesterday, I opened the website to this remarkable teaching from Baba and Ganesh’s wonderful elucidation. It could not have been a clearer affirmation—both of my efforts to endure the adversity and of the grace that removes my limitations to reveal my natural and organic experience of joy.

California, United States

This guidance from Baba that one should learn to endure adversity in order to keep joy close is very compelling for me.

I find that I am averse to adversity! When adversity comes up in my relationship with a loved one, I try to talk us out of it and explain why and how to achieve harmony as soon as possible. Enduring the adversity and detaching from the intensity of the moment has never occurred to me as an option.

The word “gurusmaran” is new to me, and its meaning reminds me of the practice of noticing the pause between the breaths. I know from experience that practicing the Hamsa mantra during moments of adversity is calming for me. The awareness that this conscious pause enables the joyfulness of the Guru to arise makes perfect sense to me now.

After reading and contemplating Baba’s teaching, I am aware that the story I tell myself about having an aversion to adversity now holds less truth. 

Georgia, United States

Today, as I stood on the walkway beside the strongest waterfall at Iguazu Falls, Baba’s words came alive for me in the movement of the water.

Before the waterfall, the water moved with quiet steadiness. Then, all at once, it plunged with tremendous force—turbulence, sound, and mist. A little farther on, that same water began to settle and continue downstream.

As I watched, I thought of how adversity had felt at certain moments in my life: powerful, overwhelming, and beyond my control. Yet the turbulence is only one part of the river. If I can remain present, remember the Guru, and turn inward, I may begin to sense the steady current of grace holding me beneath the turbulence.

I feel grateful for the awareness Baba’s teaching brings me—the reminder that even in moments of turbulence, I can turn inward and reconnect with the quiet current of joy.

Puerto Iguazu, Argentina

I am very grateful to Baba for his teaching and for his boundless compassion towards his disciples.

In times when I cannot avoid experiencing the pain of worldly life, I hold fast to my Guru’s feet by focusing on my breath. The So’ham mantra brings me to my true Self, which always observes without judgment and is always full of peace and love. This practice makes me strong, independent, and resilient.

Konolfingen, Switzerland

I spent much time over the weekend reading Baba Muktananda’s spiritual autobiography, Play of Consciousness. I was especially drawn to the chapters where Baba describes facing challenges, and I have been contemplating how Baba endured his inner process and what it may have been like for him. Then I opened the Siddha Yoga path website and found this teaching.

I am encouraged to be with whatever is happening within me, relying on my inner Self through meditation, good habits, and being present to my heart.

Warrnambool, Australia