Today I want to talk about a teaching that Baba Muktananda imparts about Siddha Yoga sādhanā. I will be explaining how you can further your understanding of this teaching and put it into practice.
Baba Muktananda says:
The essence of sādhanā is the constant remembrance of the goal of sādhanā, the Self.1
I want to draw your attention to the language Baba uses in this teaching. There are fifteen words in the teaching. The six main words are essence, sādhanā, constant, remembrance, goal, and Self.
When I first came to the Siddha Yoga path and attended hundreds of satsangs with Baba and heard him use these words in his talks—essence, sādhanā, constant, remembrance, goal, and Self—it was my experience that these words were like potent mantras. And these words have guided my sādhanā in the years and decades since, much like a compass when I needed to regain my bearings and focus.
In order to bring greater clarity to your understanding of this teaching, I will give you the Sanskrit terms for these six words.
The word for “essence” in Sanskrit is सार (sāra), which also means the essential part of something. Sāra connotes that which is real, true, and genuine.
साधना (sādhanā) is the Sanskrit word generally used to refer to spiritual discipline or practice. Sādhanā is derived from the closely related term sādhana, which is defined as “means” and “tool.” Sādhanā is that which is instrumental in leading you to the goal.
A word for “constant” in Sanskrit is निरन्तर (nirantara). When we perform an action without any gap or lapse, it is nirantara.
A term for “remembrance” in Sanskrit is अभिज्ञान (abhijnāna), which means to bring forth knowledge from the past or knowledge which already exists within you. Abhijnāna also means “recognition,” which is a synonym for remembrance.
A word for “goal” in Sanskrit is ध्येय (dhyeya) and means that which is contemplated at all times, that which is to be always kept in mind, meditated upon, or studied.
A term for “Self” in Sanskrit is आत्मन् (ātman), which means the Self or supreme Soul; ātman is the principle of life and Consciousness.
When Baba gave his talks, he primarily spoke in Hindi. Sanskrit is the language from which Hindi originates. Therefore, knowing the Sanskrit terms for the words in Baba’s teaching gives greater insight into what Baba may have intended when giving this teaching.
A text of the philosophy of Kashmir Shaivism, the Shiva Sutras, states in one of its aphorisms: kathā japaha. “The Guru’s word is mantra.” This aphorism elucidates how we can approach the study of Baba’s teachings this month. When we regard the Guru’s words as mantra, this perception helps us imbibe the enlivened wisdom they contain. Moreover, the aphorism tells us that—like a mantra—the Guru’s words shine with the light of the Truth and thus can unerringly illumine our way to God.
Since I have benefited so immensely from understanding and practicing Baba’s teaching, I want to elucidate for you in more depth what the words in this teaching mean and how these words can become a compass for you.
Let’s begin with essence, or sāra in Sanskrit. In the context of Baba’s teaching, sāra also means that which is best, highest, most excellent, and sound. This means that in addition to being an effective method for making spiritual progress, remembrance of the Self is the most beneficial and highest focus for our mind. Knowing this helps us choose wisely what we give our attention to.
Another meaning of sāra elucidates that which holds the subtlest essence of something. Even though you can’t see or touch it, when you smell the fragrance of a gardenia, you understand it is the pure essence common to all gardenia blossoms. Likewise, constant remembrance of the Self is like the “fragrance” of sādhanā. Just as by smelling its perfume we know that a particular flower is a gardenia, similarly, we know that if we are constantly remembering the Self, we are doing sādhanā.
The Sanskrit word sādhanā refers in Baba’s teaching to our spiritual discipline as a whole, including the main Siddha Yoga practices we strive to do regularly—chanting, meditation, seva, and dakshina. Baba’s teaching highlights that continually focusing our attention on the Self is the through-line, the golden thread that unifies and fortifies our sādhanā. It is our focus on the Self in each practice that in turn enhances the subsequent one, just as each gem on the crowns worn by Indian deities is made even more beautiful by the ones next to it.
In the Indian scriptures, the term for constant, nirantara, is extolled as an indispensable quality for a seeker. To reach the exalted goal of Self-knowledge, a seeker’s efforts need to be continuous and persistent. Have you ever watched a swan taking flight from the surface of a lake? It has to flap its wings for some time in order to gain the velocity to become airborne and fly gracefully. In the same way, when our reflection on the Self is nirantara, we gain the momentum to soar in our sādhanā.
On the path of yoga, abhijnāna, or remembrance, means focusing the mind on spiritual truths. In the context of Baba’s teaching, abhijnāna is remembering or bringing to your consciousness that which you already know. We use the mind’s alchemical power to transform our awareness, our sense of who we are, so that we gradually reclaim our true nature as the Self. The YogaVāsishtha says, “As you think, so you become.” Accordingly, Baba teaches us that to reach the goal of sādhanā we must keep remembering the Self, which means striving to experience it as our own inner awareness from moment to moment.
A proven practice for remembering the Self is mantra japa. Touching each bead of your japa mala reminds you of the spiritual truth you are repeating. After a while, simply seeing your japa mala, or the beads of a necklace, or fruits and berries that resemble beads, reminds you of your focus on the Self. Remembrance, when you nurture it, creates pathways in your mind that keep leading your mind back to your goal in sādhanā.
Dhyeya, the Sanskrit term for goal, means that which is contemplated at all times, and which is always kept in mind. It also means that which is to be meditated upon or to be studied. The definition of dhyeya gives us a more nuanced understanding of Baba’s teaching, because it highlights that setting the Self as our goal is more than a one-time decision, a “set it and forget it.” Rather, to hold the Self as our goal requires active engagement on our part. It is when we reflect on and meditate on the Self that it truly becomes our goal.
Steering a sailboat illustrates this dynamic focus. When you’re heading to a harbor that is upwind, you must sail in a zigzag pattern, constantly trimming your sails and adjusting direction to catch the shifting breeze and allow for the changing currents. You continually recalibrate your course in order to reach your destination. It’s the same in focusing on the goal of sādhanā—you continually assess and then do what the moment calls for.
Ātman is a revered term for Self in Sanskrit. The Vedas trace this word to two roots: अत्, at, meaning that which moves or pervades everywhere, and the root अन्, an, which means to breathe. The Self is defined as the eternal, blissful, and all-pervasive Consciousness that is the true nature of a human being. The Self is within us and around us, and is the source of our own breath. I learned from Baba: “The ātman pervades everything in full measure and is the support of all. Every visible object, therefore, rests in the ātman.”2
I have just elucidated the six main words from Baba’s teaching:
The essence of sādhanā is the constant remembrance of the goal of sādhanā, the Self.1
Whenever I have felt that I was starting to get lost in the dense forest of my own mind, I simply had to remember Baba’s teaching. Reflecting on Baba’s words was like looking at a compass—I would instantly reorient myself toward a focus on the Self. Recalling this teaching would put me back in the satsang, back in the Intensive hall, back at Baba’s feet.
Let me describe for you how I practice this teaching, which may give you ideas of ways to implement it in your life.
First, I inwardly ask the Guru’s grace to illumine my understanding of the teaching, and then research it in a few Siddha Yoga books or the scriptures to learn about the main concepts of the teaching in more depth.
Second, I sit quietly and hold the teaching in my mind and heart with the intention to experience the teaching within myself. Sometimes images or analogies come up, and I note them in my journal so that I can explore them further.
Third, I hold the teaching in my awareness as I offer seva, meditate, perform routine tasks, and—this is important—during the moments when I move from one activity to another during the day. Every few minutes I ask myself, “How can I remember the Self in this moment?” Depending on the activity or situation, I might choose to focus on the inner witness, the mantra, the pure awareness, or “I am.” Or I might focus on recognizing a quality of the Self, such as inner bliss, serenity, or love.
This third step continues from hour to hour, day to day. Through holding the teaching in my consciousness and returning to it repeatedly, the teaching becomes my “home base,” a steady center that I can enter at any moment.
Fundamental to our study and practice of the Guru’s teachings is receiving each word with the awareness of the profound power and meaning they hold. Once again, here are the six main words of Baba’s teaching. Let them resonate in your heart and mind as you read them:
Essence सार—sāra
Sādhanā साधना—sādhanā
Constant निरन्तर—nirantara
Remembrance अभिज्ञान—abhijnāna
Goal ध्येय—dhyeya
Self आत्मन्—ātman
1 Swami Muktananda, I Have Become Alive (South Fallsburg, NY: SYDA Foundation, 1992), p. 54. 2 Swami Muktananda, Light on the Path (South Fallsburg, NY: SYDA Foundation, 1994), p. 32.
Baba’s teaching on “the essence of sadhana” gives me a new perspective on the moment and how important each moment is as an opportunity to remember the Self. I understand that each moment is new and I can experience it anew at any time. This is exciting and creative because it reminds me to be fully awake and constantly enjoy the amazing adventure of life.
Konolfingen, Switzerland
It was interesting to me that a word very similar to sadhana “is defined as ‘means’ and ‘tool,’” as Swami ji tells us. It occurred to me that the Siddha Yoga teachings and practices are truly the tools of my life. Whether I am serving as a science teacher or offering seva for the SYDA Foundation, my tools always include applying the teachings and following a regular schedule of the practices. I also inwardly repeat Baba’s teachings, “See God in each other” and “Welcome each other with great respect and love” before I enter classes or meetings. This month I will honor all these spiritual tools on Dasera, the auspicious day that follows the nine nights of Navaratri.
Washington, United States
By contemplating Baba’s words, I gained a delightful, intuitive insight into some practical decisions. The word that resonated for me most here was essence. As an actress and writer, I love this word because for me, it is a pathway into deeper experience of a work of art.
Recently I was redoing the hallway in my home. It is a quirky space, and I have never been able to get it to where it felt like “an embrace,” which was part of my vision for this space. Then the word essence came to me. Once I’d read about a landscape designer whose method of designing was to sit in “the garden-to-be” and just listen until the land told her what it wanted to be. Thanks to Baba’s words, this experience was like that. It was a thrilling, empowering, and clarifying experience as I contemplated different things in my life, listening for the essence of each entity until I “heard” what was essential for each one. This was so much fun!
Connecticut, United States
Since reading Swami Akhandananda’s commentary on Baba’s teaching in “Savoring Baba’s Words,” I have been focusing on the words nirantara and abhijnana, which together mean constant remembrance.
I repeat nirantara abhijnana as if repeating a mantra. These words guide me inward to the Self. Often during the day I’ll ask myself, “Am I remembering the Self now?”
This practice reminds me to connect to my breath and to remain calm. Everything may be moving around me, but I stay connected to the inner stillness of the Self within me.
a Gurukula student in Gurudev Siddha Peeth, India
“Savoring Baba’s Words” has been an inspiration for me. Reading the commentary and following the guidance has supported me in strengthening my personal practices and engaging with learning on a deeper level. I have revisited Siddha Yoga books to research the teachings and discovered new insights. I have truly loved exploring the teachings this way and feeling connected to the path through this gift of learning from the Siddha Yoga path website.
Newcastle, Australia
While contemplating the sadhana of the Self, I recalled that, at times, I am able to practice constant remembrance of the Self for a long period of time, and at other times, not so long. In reflecting on this teaching and the commentary, I concluded that only with the Guru’s grace and compassion is it possible to even think about the Self.
I found this contemplation to be a catalyst for me to practice constant remembrance of the Guru and the Self, and a valuable reminder that the Guru and the Self are one. The result has given me an intense experience of immense love and gratitude for having a living Guru in my life. This helps me a lot to stay focused in my sadhana, which in turn acts as fuel for propelling my sadhana forward.
Pune, India
Baba’s words are very powerful. Reading and understanding the meaning of the teaching pulled my awareness inside, and Baba’s magical words brought me into meditation. The specific means that Swami ji suggested for practicing the teaching, like remembering the qualities of the Self, help me to do so. I am now repeating Baba’s teaching in this commentary every day.
Pune, India
Just this one teaching of Baba’s holds so much power! I love the way Swami ji helped me focus on the essential words in this teaching. There is so much to imbibe here and to assimilate. I have been using the example that Swami ji suggested by simply asking myself the question, “Are you feeling the bliss of the Self?” And guess what? It works!
Florida, United States
I have been offering my thanks to Baba for this beautiful teaching!
When I first read Swami ji’s commentary, I felt unable to enter it completely. Then I noticed the footnote referring to a page in Baba’s book I Have Become Alive. When I read the indicated passage, I felt a door to a deeper understanding of Baba’s teaching open. My heart filled with happiness.
In this passage, Baba paints a compelling picture of the atman in language that touches me with its beauty and power. His words show me a beacon whose rays of light illuminate my mind with joy, peace, and contentment. Thus, Baba’s teaching began to resonate within me.
Vancouver, Canada
Today, I contemplated how I could more deeply assimilate Baba’s teaching and Swami ji’s commentary. I connected what I learned in the commentary with my previous knowledge. This understanding of the teaching emerged:
Sāra: I implement a distillation process that reveals the bliss of the Self, the pure nectar of existence. Sādhanā: I use my mind and my body to experience the Self. Nirantara: I am continually absorbed in the awareness of the Self. Abhijnāna: I take support on the knowledge of the Self I have gained. Dhyeya: I keep focused on the goal of the Self with the awareness of my breath, the repetition of the mantra, and the contemplation of the Guru’s words. Ātman: The Self is the light of my soul, the light of my existence, the light of Consciousness.
Rodez, France
Dhyeya has always been very important in my life. There were many goals in my life that I wanted to achieve, and in fact I have achieved an incredible number of goals, and I am not finished yet! Through the teachings of Gurumayi, I have begun to feel worthy of achieving the highest goal of human life. Step by step, day by day, I walk my path at the pace that suits me, knowing that every little effort is worthwhile. In this way, I make my way to the goal.
Unterlangenegg, Switzerland
The morning of October 2, I nourished my mind with Swami ji’s commentary. I kept remembering that it was the solar anniversary of Baba’s mahasamadhi and, with the understanding that the Guru is the Self, I invited Baba to take a bike tour with me to help me stay focused on my goal, the ātman.
After thorough preparation, including putting my japa ring on my finger, I noticed the bike saddle, where the word Pure is written. And so I began my adventure. Along the way, as I rejoiced being in the middle of nature, hearing the birds singing, and watching peaceful cows graze in the meadows, I kept repeating, sometimes aloud, the six main Sanskrit words of Baba’s teaching. Aware of the harmony I felt with my surroundings, I spotted the word Fresh on some discarded packaging on the side of the road. Soon after, I descended into a valley where a river enveloped me with its own freshness.
Remembering Baba’s smile, I ended my tour enveloped in the contentment and purity of the Self.
Rodez, France
Before visiting the Siddha Yoga path website today, I was sitting quietly in my kitchen gazing toward the pond in our backyard. I began contemplating, as I often have, the teaching that everything is God—everything. In more than three decades of sadhana, I had never fully understood what these words truly meant. But in that moment, my awareness suddenly shifted—and I was part of everything and everything was the Self! Writing this, I find I can re-enter the experience at will just by bringing it into my awareness.
Thus, it was with utter surprise and great joy that I read Baba’s teaching, “The essence of sadhana is the constant remembrance of the goal of sadhana, the Self,” and Swami Akhandananda’s commentary on it.
The depth of gratitude I have for Gurumayi’s patience, as she tirelessly imparts these teachings to students who may take decades to glimpse their meaning, is immeasurable.
Florida, United States
After reading Swami ji’s commentary and contemplating Baba’s teaching, I meditated, holding the intention to keep my mind focused on the essence of the teaching: the Self, absolute Consciousness.
Very soon, I accessed a thoughtless state and, in this inner peace and silence, I experienced being intensely present to myself. I then got absorbed in a deep sense of “being,” which gradually turned into the feeling that my own consciousness was being “hosted” by absolute Consciousness. It looked like a raindrop that had fallen into a lake and not yet merged into that vast body of water.
By making the Guru’s words my own, I was able to experience their power of revelation.
Paris, France
It is such a joy to enter each word of Baba’s teaching more fully. As I do this, I feel the way that each of Baba’s words can take me to the core of my being.
One word in particular—abhijnana or “remembrance,” which Swami ji explains as meaning “to bring forth knowledge from the past, or knowledge which already exists within you”—has already proved significant to me. Some years ago, I received upsetting news and was crying. As I was searching for a way of processing the news, I began to feel Baba’s presence and heard the word Remember. This one word began repeating intensely over and over. I felt it drawing me to a deeper knowledge—beyond the short-term upset and then beyond even this person I thought I was—to a state of vast, compassionate love. Here everything was perfect.
Since then, in moments when I feel adrift, this one word Remember, Baba’s gift from that time, continues to be a touchstone for me.
Hampton, Australia
Reading this commentary made my day! To better understand its essence, I read it four times, and then read each of the six words aloud, three times each. This spontaneously created a peaceful environment around me.
When I came to the word Self, or atman, with my eyes closed I had the darshan of Bhagavan Nityananda’s golden face. I experienced the quality of the Self as tranquility filling every space in my body. I understood that if I have such a great experience in just reading the word atman, then how great it would be to be always be aware that the Self is my true form!
As Swami ji described his practice of focusing on the qualities of the Self, I realized that I would love to focus on that experience of tranquility and allow it to permeate my actions. I’m so grateful for the commentary and Baba’s teaching, which remind me to always hold my goal in my awareness.
Bhandara, India
I am grateful for this exquisite bouquet of words on the teaching of Swami Muktananda. The Sanskrit words resonate as I read the text and deepen both my experience and understanding. I find myself naturally absorbed in repeating and contemplating them. This commentary is truly a gift received by my heart.
Sainte Anne de Bellevue, Canada
Inspired by Swami ji’s words, I decided that each day, I would focus on one of the key words in Baba’s teaching. Today, as I focused on the Sanskrit word sara for “essence,” I met a friend who was working on a presentation to teach children solutions to climate change. My attempts at assistance seemed to be hindering more than helping. Then I remembered Baba’s teaching. I began to talk less, listen more, and most of all repeat the word sara as a mantra on my breath.
By the end of our meeting he came up with three goals for his presentation—to open the students’ hearts, to motivate them, and to empower them. I realized that through this meeting, he had arrived at the essence of his presentation. I marveled at how potent a single word from the Guru can be—even for daily tasks in the world.
Washington, United States
Savoring Baba’s words
“The essence of sadhana is the constant remembrance of the goal of sadhana, the Self,” Baba Muktananda said.
As I took my early morning walk, I savored these words.
As I looked up high in the dark sky, the crescent moon, just like the one in Shiva’s hair, smiled down at me from on high. I felt such bliss!
“Om Namah Shivaya. I bow to the Self,” I repeated in my mind to the rhythm of the sound of my feet walking uphill on the hilly street, as the orange sun, the color of Baba’s robes, rose above trees, as the distant hum of traffic hummed the sound of Om, as birds sang songs in the early dawn, as the sky turned blue, the color of the Blue Pearl, in the cool of the morning on Baba Muktananda’s Solar Mahasamadhi.
Remember “Nothing exists that is not Shiva,” as the saints say. Remember this for you can constantly remember the Self this way.
California, United States
As I savor and imbibe Swami ji’s words in order to more deeply understand Baba Muktananda’s teaching, my awareness of every word of Baba’s that he is discussing becomes refreshed—as if I once again had the eyes and ears of a child who gazes at the stars for the first time in life, eager to really absorb the sound of their silence and their sublimity, to take their presence fully to heart.
I am so grateful to my beloved Baba Muktananda for always guiding us back home!
Starnberg, Germany
As I finished reading Commentary 1, I decided to repeat out loud and in Sanskrit the six key words of Baba’s teaching. As I said them, I felt this strong, warm prana shakti in my abdominal region, filling me up with strength and centeredness. As the warmth moved up to my chest, I was plunged into a point of intense bliss right within my heart, taking me to the awareness: “I am the Self.”
I am immensely grateful to Gurumayi for imparting the means to study and practice Baba’s enlivened words, which have the potency of mantra. I will continue to meditate on his teachings and abide in the experience of bliss during the day.
Mexico City, Mexico
When I first looked at the images of the swan within this commentary, I had the sense I was experiencing Baba’s presence in my heart. There was something so majestic and pure in each image that they captured my imagination. Then I had to smile to myself, as I remembered how we often use the Sanskrit honorific paramahamsa to refer to Baba, as in “Swami Muktananda Paramahamsa.”
In the Indian tradition in which I grew up, I learned that this word, composed of parama and hamsa, means “supreme swan.” The first part, parama, means “supreme” or “transcendent.” The swan, denoted by hamsa in Sanskrit, lives with complete ease in both land and water, and so it represents the ability to live both in this world and beyond it. The term paramahamsa honors a being who lives in this world with the ability to differentiate the real from the unreal. For this reason the term is used as an honorific for people who have attained a full awakening. This stately title pays homage to the attainment and grace of the person it is conferred on.
What a truly fitting title for Baba ji, who not only lived in this world in a fully awakened state, but also taught so many others how they can do so as well!
Vancouver, Canada
Reading Swami ji’s commentary on Baba’s teaching, I experience so vividly the darshan of Mahasarasvati, the goddess of knowledge and inspiration. One lovely form in which she manifests is the swan. Since the swan is her vahana, her vehicle, the recurring swan imagery accompanying this commentary evokes for me the constant flow of this Devi’s blessings.
The swan, or hamsa in Sanskrit, is described in the Indian scriptures as having a beak so sensitive that it can extract the milk from a mixture of milk and water; this symbolizes the ability to distinguish truth from falsehood, light from darkness. Another blessing from Mahasarasvati!
On the Siddha Yoga path, I have learned the beautiful tradition for students and artists of all kinds to invoke the grace of Mahasarasvati whenever they are about to begin their studies or creative endeavors. So as I commence my study of Baba’s teachings in Baba’s month of October, I know it’s the perfect occasion to offer prayers to Devi Mahasarasvati.
a staff member in Shree Muktananda Ashram
This commentary is so powerful and a wonderful way to honor Baba Muktananda’s Mahasamadhi.
I very much appreciate the advice offered by Swami Akhandananda on the steps to stay focused on the Self. His commentary has given me the gift of understanding and remembrance in order that I may focus more fully on connecting to the Self throughout my day—and throughout my life.
I also love how each of the six key words in this teaching of Baba’s have been explained in such a profound and heartfelt way.
