Commentary by Siddha Yoga Meditation Teacher Mehul Joshi
Reflecting on nature elicits powerful insight into the virtue of resilience. Consider, for instance, stalks of bamboo that are caught in a gale. The bamboo stalks are flexible enough to bend with each gust of wind, and once the wind subsides, they gently return to their original form. A resilient person is capable of going through challenging situations in the same way that the bamboo stalks respond to the challenge of the wind; they remain adaptable and can therefore rebound back to their natural, balanced state.
Resilience, from its root in the Latin word resilīre, means “to spring back,” “to rebound,” or “to be flexible.” Resilience is the ability of something to return to its original form after it has been pulled, stretched, pressed, or bent. It implies vigor, vitality, and staying power.1 From the viewpoint of sadhana, resilience implies flexibility in one’s response to outer challenges by maintaining an inner focus on that which remains changeless—the Self.
Gurumayi speaks about the significance of flexibility in the book Resonate with Stillness. She says:
You must be flexible to follow the will of God. In greatness, there is complete flexibility.2
To yield is in fact a form of great strength. For example, in the ancient martial art of judo, one learns how to skillfully yield to the opponent’s motion and then to redirect that force to one’s advantage. Similarly, a resilient mind has the flexibility to perceive the positive and beneficial in a difficult situation and turn it into an opportunity to progress on the spiritual path. This mental flexibility is a hallmark of resilience.
Resilience is a virtue that sustains our sadhana by instilling us with strong resolution and constant perseverance. We learn how to always come back to our true nature. We develop a flexible mind by becoming aware of the fluctuating winds of distraction and then returning the mind again and again to its source—the place of inner stillness. Such a mind becomes established in the contentment and permanence of the Self. We can then carry the serene imprints of this experience into everyday life.
sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhi-grāhyam atīndriyam । vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ sthitaś calati tattvataḥ ॥
When the mind comes to rest, restrained by the practice of yoga, and when beholding the Self, by the self, he is content in the Self. He knows that infinite happiness which is grasped by the intellect and transcends the senses, and, established there, does not deviate from the truth.3
By drawing the mind inward, we gradually learn how to rest the mind in the constant and poised nature of our own Self. When we regularly rest our mind in the Self, we retain a steady—yet flexible—awareness. Resilience arises from this inner awareness, and whenever we need to tap into this virtue in our day-to-day activities, it is there for us.
1Merriam-Webster Online, s.v. “resilience,” accessed April 11, 2016, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resilience. 2Swami Muktananda and Swami Chidvilasananda, Resonate with Stillness: Daily Contemplations (South Fallsburg, NY: SYDA Foundation, 1995), September 24. 3Shri Bhagavad Gita, 6.20–21; English translation from Swami Kripananda, Jnaneshwar’s Gita: A Rendering of the Jnaneshwari (South Fallsburg, NY: SYDA Foundation, 1999), p. 80.
Today I am looking at a 1994 photograph of me and twenty other young women standing before the murti of Goddess Durga in Gurudev Siddha Peeth. I realize how, by walking the Siddha Yoga path, my own efforts and the immense power of Guru’s grace have helped the wonderful virtue of resilience to grow in me, and have made me move through challenges while remaining connected to my heart.
I love how the writer of this commentary says, “We learn how to always come back to our true nature.” As I reflected, I realized that resilience is a quality I need to nurture even in the simplest of interactions in order to shed feelings of restlessness or boredom, or inappropriate reactions.
One way I am supporting myself is to honor my body so I can feel physically comfortable, especially by eating only as much food as my stomach can digest easefully. When I do this, I feel stronger and kinder, and can surrender to the needs of each moment with joy.
Warrnambool, Australia
Reading and trying to grasp the meaning of the words in the commentary on resilience—particularly focusing on the words “the will of God”—have kept me steady after the recent passing of my mother. During this difficult time, I now see that it has been the virtue of resilience that I have been needing the most. Contemplating the commentary on this virtue has calmed me. It has stilled me. I feel that this has been a gift of grace from my Guru. Going forward, I will attempt to hold myself with resilience. I will try to remember that by staying steadfast in my faith and in the Truth, all will be okay.
Massachusetts, United States
I cherish the virtue of resilience knowing that life brings challenging situations, and it is up to me to face them and bounce back.
Gurumayi’s words quoted in the commentary, “You must be flexible to follow the will of God,” inspire me, and also challenge me. Being flexible requires tremendous courage!
I derive strength from these words in the commentary: “Resilience implies flexibility in one’s response to outer challenges by maintaining an inner focus on that which remains changeless—the Self.”
These teachings will be my constant companion as I live my everyday life.
Hosur, India
After reading the commentary on resilience, I have felt so much inner strength. It has conveyed to me that no matter what the circumstances, I can manage. After each night the morning comes, and the sun shines, and after each full day, the night comes, bringing a time for relaxation and contemplation. In the same way, through resilience and the flexibility it provides me, I can return to my original, true state in every life situation. Resilience enables me to face the challenges I have been given with wisdom and patience. It gives me the ability to access my true Self, ensuring that I can remain content in each situation.
New Delhi, India
Today’s virtue of resilience and the commentary on it came at a perfect time for me—the day I had a surgery I had been anxious about. Instead, I was able to be calm and in a meditative state throughout. I experienced Gurumayi’s darshan inwardly and felt she wanted me to be happy. I felt so close to her!
I choose to see the surgery as an opportunity to be resilient and to have faith in my Guru’s protection and in my path. I realize that my physical health is important so I can offer more of myself to the world around me.
Washington, United States
The commentary on resilience reminds me of the lessons I receive from nature in the Plains of Provence where I live. The powerful Mistral wind here often makes the olive trees dance, with their green and silver foliage shimmering in the rays of the sun.
Mistral in French means “master.” When this strong wind blows, it seems as though a tree has very little choice but to surrender to it. Yet the olive trees—with their strong roots and flexible branches—appear to welcome the Mistral and thrive in it.
Recently, when I drove a car through a violent storm, I felt these qualities of strength and flexibility in myself. I felt rooted and resilient, despite the downpour of water and the torn branches around me.
To be able to dance consistently amid the challenges of existence—like those the olive trees face in the Mistral—I know I must strive to root my mind in the Self. In this way, I cultivate resilience, nourished by Gurumayi’s teachings.
Rodez, France
During this month of Birthday Bliss, I feel as if each virtue is a personal message that Gurumayi is giving to me—especially this one, Resilience.
The last two years have been challenging in so many ways for me. At times I have felt that it won’t be possible to go back to my natural self, or to experience the world as freely as I did previously. In light of this, the commentary on resilience resonates meaningfully for me. It is, for me, a sign that I can change, adapt, improvise, and maintain my aspirations according to the needs of the time.
I feel encouraged both by the commentary and my daily practice this month of reflecting on each virtue with my mother. I feel heartened and reassured that, as circumstances change for the better, I will be able to bounce back to many of my free and natural ways of being.
Kota, India
The white heart in the midst of golden circles and hearts helps me to deepen my understanding of the virtue of resilience. As if I were watching a movie, this image enables me to view—from a peaceful heart—this universe of words and objects as a splash of chitshakti, divine energy.
Thanks to the wisdom shown in the commentary on resilience, I can develop an attitude that allows me to spring back from challenges, and to accumulate energy from outside forces—like the spring-powered motor I wound with a key when I was young. One of the best keys for “winding” my mind in order to strengthen it is to constantly remember the divine mantra I received from my Guru.
Rodez, France
I have read and spoken about resilience many times in my work in IT infrastructure. But the heart image and commentary opened me to the meaning of resilience for myself. I understood that I have to keep connecting back to my heart through the practices to make my nature flexible like bamboo.
Navi Mumbai, India
A few years ago I got up one winter’s morning and went downstairs to find the whole ground floor of my house under water. After the initial shock, my mind went into overdrive and I couldn’t think straight, so I went back upstairs and sat for meditation. It felt like a warm shawl of grace and love was wrapped around me. As I came out of meditation, my mind was very clear. I prayed and made an intention for only good to come out of this situation. I had the realization that what mattered was within me.
Over the next days and months there were many challenges. I had to constantly reset my compass! When overwhelm set in, the most helpful thing was always to breathe and meditate for a while, come back to my center, and remember my original resolve.
This situation gave me so many gifts: I increased my practices, I learned resilience and the ability to bounce back from difficulties, and I received a beautiful new ground floor!
Heckmondwike, United Kingdom
In the context of a lot of pressure at work that has thrown me off balance these days, I have committed myself to wake up every morning and read the commentary about the virtue for that day. I take each one as a communication from Gurumayi. And each one transforms my point of view.
I have now begun to look at my work stresses with a different perception and to accept them as the will of God. This practice has helped me to return to a state of balance and remember my own resilience.
Pune, India
I knew I needed to read about the virtue of resilience, and was not surprised to find how appropriate this commentary was. I am dealing with a medical challenge that is unfolding into a blessing. I am reciting Shri Guru Gita and Shri Rudram for support and insight.
Within only a few days after the medical report was shared with me, auspicious opportunities appeared regarding my health challenge. I know I am surrounded by grace, and that Shakti is holding me in her magnificent embrace.
The Guru is truly with me and resilience is my companion. I feel very blessed to be a part of the Siddha Yoga sangham.
Ohio, United States
The beautiful image, offered in this commentary, of bamboo caught in a strong wind and returning to its original form is a powerful illustration of the virtue of resilience. This example is one that will serve me well.
Amidst the fluctuations of daily life, knowledge of my true nature is the ever-present gift of the Siddha Yoga path. And the Siddha Yoga practice of meditation offers me a means to remain in harmony with the highest awareness, the divine Self, even as the winds of life continue to blow.
