Frontier is the limit or boundary of an area or nation, mentally is the extreme limit of understanding, and in meditation we have a frontier when we meet the limit we allow ourselves to surrender to God. For us to continue to make progress in deepening meditation we must face the inner frontiers that act as resistance; resistance being the self-imposed boundaries created by the ego-mind.

The ego-mind draws a circumference around itself to define itself; it is what the ego does. The nature of the ego is to say, “This is me, and this is not me.” This allows the ego to operate in the world according to its own comfort and to make decisions. As a child develops there comes a fateful day when the mind says, “mine.” Small children will play a game in which they choose to keep a toy and not give it to the mother—then arbitrarily turns around and gives it to the mother with total delight. The next step is to consider an object mine, unless I sell it. Of course, this is how the world operates on a daily basis, with some being misers and others generous.

In India sadhus take a vow to have no possessions and to not stay at any one place for more than three days. This discipline is to break the idea of, “this is mine,” to eliminate the ego-mind. Even in a sadhu’s world, as Papa humorously writes, one can find the ego-mind inserting itself. Whether it is the position in line for meals being served, or possessiveness of a lota pot for water, or even one’s cloth—the sense of position or possession can exhibit the idea of “mine” in the most subtle of ways. Papa describes how a seeming madman came into a hut he was staying in and demanded that Papa hand over, one by one, every “possession” he had—which was very little. For Papa, this madman was his beloved Ram come in this form, and he immediately took it as a test as to whether he had any attachment to these things. Papa cheerfully handed over every item, until he was down to his last cloth that Papa wore in modesty. That too Papa started to give, when the man suddenly changed his mind and said no, Papa could keep that. The man left, but Papa was in such a state of bliss at having this interaction with God that he merged into his infinite Beloved in samadhi and stayed that way until far into the next day. At which time he found himself surrounded by devotees who had come to see him and sat in wonder as to why Papa was reduced to wearing only one small cloth!

Your attachment to things are a small thing compared to your attachment to the boundaries of the mind. You sit in meditation, focus on the ajna, the point between the eyebrows, you face your frontier—that which is in front of you. It may be the immediate darkness you see with closed eyes, or, if your consciousness has expanded it is the vast but limited sphere of consciousness. You may be in a deep state of stillness, when suddenly thoughts about the world create waves upon the mirror-like surface of your mind.

I remember many a time in meditation I had the sense I was dropping deeper, like going down through thermal layers of the ocean. Suddenly, some thought would whiplash me back to the surface—some idea activated worldly awareness and had taken me from that wonderful state of stillness. On other occasions I would feel uplifted, expanded, like going up in a hot air balloon. In this state of blissful expansiveness some thought would come along, and attachment unthinkingly reached out to this thought or memory, the presence of that thought weighted down the balloon and descended from those heights—it was maddening.

Oh, to be present to God with no attachments, no artificial limits—no fear of infinite expansion or to be taken into the minute world of subatomic matter, to go anywhere God takes you without fear or desire is perfect freedom. The active ego-mind is transformed into the witness to what is; and all that is, is Divine in origin. When your absorption in meditation transitions into activity in the world, then all sensory input is seen and felt as God living His life through His creation. You and all others, animate and so-called inanimate, are all part and parcel of one Divine Life.

A few months ago I injured the bicep tendon. As a result, moving my arm in a certain direction, overhead or behind, creates a blindingly shooting pain. Pain can bring up any number of attachments to the body, resulting in fear, anger, resentment and depression. It has been my long practice to see pain as coming from God—the pain impulses being activated prana, life-energy, traveling at high speed through the nerves to the brain. Prana, coming from God, is nothing but God in that form—to practice allowing the pain impulse to pass through the brain and into the light, not simply be absorbed in the brain; to affirm life-energy in this form is God, just as all other forms of life-energy are God. An interesting thing began to happen with the pain from this tendon area, instead of coming as a pain impulse, with internal vision I saw the shoulder area emit light, instead of shooting pain. God is so interesting.

When we are in the adventure of exploring God, in creation and beyond, and we challenge the frontiers of limitations, not accepting anything in life as being normal—in the sense of being absent of God—then the normal frontiers dissolve into something more, something greater, something Divine. For most of us, this is a process. However, it does not take much reflection to see the various ways in life our minds have created barriers, even beyond our conscious intention—and that these barriers keep us separated from Sacred-awareness. To know God as bliss, wisdom, light, expansiveness and the deep—to know Him as our all and all, in all, is real freedom, true liberation. Let us journey together until we know, absolutely know, there is nothing but He, nothing but He. And, as our dear Swami Satchidanandaji said to do, dive deep, soar high.

I have been immersed in the sea of Mother, swimming in her spiritual waters as I work with her talks in preparing them for publication. We are making nice progress, but there is much to do before we are ready to go to press. In the meantime, as I work with transcripts of Mother’s talks, her words, thoughts, and her spirit are so very much present, in and all around me. Oh, what a treasure we have in Mother.

And not just Mother, but how the currents of her life intermingled with Master, Sister Gyanamata, Rajasi and others. Although Gyanamata and Rajasi have not been so well known, what tremendous spiritual personalities they are. Gyanamata—Mother of Wisdom through Devotion—and Mother were closely connected in their Seattle days, and they continued in her friendship after Sister moved down to Mount Washington headquarters and played such an important part in Master’s work.

A brilliant woman, with the social status of being married to the dean of the University of Washington’s school of law, Gyanamata’s had the heart of a bhakta—with a total and complete devotion for Master. In any gathering she never turned her back to Master, feeling that it would be disrespectful to him. Even though she suffered some grievous illnesses, if Master came to see her she insisted on getting up from her sickbed to honor him. Under a large picture she had of Master, like Mother’s lithograph of Master, Gyanamata had the words God Alone as her motto written under it. And, she lived it—with all of her heart, mind and soul.

And Rajasi, what a soul. A brilliant man, he had a Midas Touch when it came to business—starting with nothing he became a multi-millionaire in his young thirties (translate that to billionaire in today’s value). Yet, this titan of business was Master’s little boy. Such a loving, affectionate relationship they held for one another. Even though a great business success, before meeting Master Rajasi could not sit still for a minute, his hands always fidgeting, his mind racing, and he was desperately unhappy. When he attended Master’s lectures for their first meeting, on the second night he noticed his hands were still, he was feeling a great, inner peace. Soon, he was established in that peace, the strength of consciousness he had built in previous lives as a Himalayan meditating yogi came to the fore. Since his meditating spiritual life was not welcome on the home front, he went into work early, closed his office door and deeply meditated before his workday started. He had an unshakable love and reverence for Master, but different in expression from Gyanamata and Master—there was an easy friendship and exchange of love between guru and disciple with Master and Rajasi.

Both Gyanamata and Rajasi were to have significant effects on Mother, both were part of her going all the way to her complete realization of God. How blessed we are to have these tremendous spiritual personalities in our lives. For, even as they were part of Mother’s journey to God, so, through Mother, they become part of us as well. One thing we can observe is how unique the outward expressions of these devotees are. Yet, even accounting for their differences, go under the surface and there you find God-joy, God-love, and God-wisdom.

Measuring spiritual beings is fundamentally different than evaluating people by worldly standards. Mother was standing next to a devotee who criticized Rajasi when he was seen being led like a child from one place to another, and others needed to tell him what to do; sometimes he put the wrong clothes on, wearing casual sneakers with a suit coat and pants  (long before that became fashionable in some sets). Mother said, “Well, of course, when your mind is so focused upon God that you’re in the tremendous ecstasy of God. You’re not conscious of anything.” Imagine, this titan of business, so childlike in God’s bliss—what humility, what surrender he had in God.

Let us take inspiration from these saints, knowing that they have walked in the same world as we, and found their freedom in the infinite Divine. Rajasi, Gyanamata and Mother, all unique expressions of the Divine Mind, yet their hearts beat in perfect harmonious rhythm with inward attunement to God, Christ, Gurus.

I am being held prisoner. I should make it clear, I voluntarily became God’s slave some time ago—in fact I worked hard to do so. Even though my slavery and my imprisonment are entirely with my consent, by putting God first and making it clear, “Not my will, but Thy will be done,” I have deliberately placed myself in this situation where my little human desires are routinely overwritten by God’s.

It is true that I have not even the smallest wish (well sometimes maybe the smallest wish), to not be His slave. But, it is not a wish to not be His instrument, it is only the groan of a bridge over which a heavy load is being driven, being stretched to the utmost of human limits. Fortunately, I do not depend on my human strength for the work He has me do.

Now, it may all sound a bit vague what this work is, and in truth it can be very difficult to describe. At any hour of the day, and all through the day, God uses this human instrument as His conduit of power, bliss and light. He also puts loads upon this human frame of illness, as well as mental and emotional disharmony—in short, any part of the human condition this world finds itself in. Since I experience His grace along with what he gives me to bear, there is always His power for strength, and the certain knowledge it is all He. This grace makes all the difference, without His constant sustenance the human element could not last a second.

It is the most fascinating life imaginable, and one day, even one hour is not like another. Because of His insistence in recent years I spend many days withdrawn from human interactions. There are exceptions to this, such as this past Easter weekend, but He makes it abundantly clear when those limits are reached.

Being His slave is perfect, but when He has me disappoint others, I must surrender that disappointment at His feet. This weekend I was not able to attend a House Blessing, and that became one of those points of surrender, giving my little human desire to be there at the feet of God. I am certain that Reverend Jill did a beautiful job leading the House Blessing—so I let it go. In my absence I sent a letter to Sarah and all attendees in which I closed with a blessing. I am passing that blessing on to you—that God and Gurus may richly bless you. And, if it be your sweet will, you too may enjoy being a slave to the Almighty, our Infinite Beloved.

Blessing for the Householder Yogi

Bless you and your home; make it a sanctuary that is a witness and a support to your aspiring spirit. As the petals of God-experiences unfold in your receptive soul, may they reveal the flower of Self-realization that lights your whole Being, your entire home, and fills all the world with His eternal splendor. Ever in God, Christ, Gurus.

I am cradled in the Divine Presence, wrapped in His Bliss in a happy hangover after Easter. I think over the weekend’s activities celebrating Divine Resurrection—the kirtan at Jerry and Lois’s, Easter Service, Potluck and seeing so many devotees of God glowing in His Light, the little ones hunting Easter eggs, then watching Zeffirelli’s Jesus of Nazareth—starting with the powerful scene of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead to the Christ’s resurrection. After the disciples had dispersed during the Master’s arrest, they gathered again after the crucifixion. Peter, talking about his denial of Jesus said, We all abandoned him! But, he has forgiven us, forgiven us all. A statement of such pure compassionate truth.

This morning God has been talking to me—it is very interesting in the way He does this. In the stillness of my mind a teaching flows in as pure thought. This stream of Consciousness is clearly from above, and I am but a witness to the thoughts, pictures, and wordless-words that manifest on my mental screen. It is an intimate union, and He tells me the most wonderful things. His expositions are often about the path to realization. With a fine scalpel of discernment, He cuts away gross and subtle falsehoods, those things that can derail us, and reveals the Way.

This morning the Lord picked up on a theme He spoke about on Sunday—Jesus fell three times while carrying his cross—or the body—up the hill of Golgotha—meaning Hill of the Skull (i.e. ascending spinal consciousness to the higher centers of the brain). Of course, this story of Christ from two thousand years ago is conveying what happens in everyone’s spiritual journey to complete realization. When we are put through the Mystical Crucifixion we are tempted, and tempted hard, even as Peter was in his fearful denial of Jesus. In that temptation we may fall—three times the Christ fell, and he was born an incarnation of Divinity.

Mother and Master also made mistakes on the way up, and this is true with all ascending souls. We have all fallen short of the goal of perfection—Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. And here we tread a fine line in talking about the ways great masters fell when on their upward journey to spiritual perfection. There are those who are too apt to see their spiritual heroes as being too good to make mistakes, and any so-called imperfection threatens the picture-perfect image they have created of a master—if they encounter a flaw their entire worldview is threatened. And then there are those who glory in their fellow man’s imperfections, thus we have tabloids appealing to the voyeur who gets a charge from tantalizing details.

To have a realistic view of the spiritual path upon which we tread we must know that, “Yes, we can fall,” and, “Yes, we can recover.” None of us would like to be defined by a past when we were not at our best; we must have the freedom to learn and to grow from our experiences. And while we need not shamefully hide away unlovely truths about ourselves, we should also not get overly fixated on the faults or shortcomings of another. This is the razor’s edge, to know the whole truth of a soul’s journey, and not get hung up by something negative when the bigger picture reveals a soul ascending beyond those falls on their way to spiritual perfection.

“So,” one may ask, “how do I discriminate between a true spiritual master, who made missteps on the way up, and those who portray themselves as spiritual adepts, but in reality are hypocrites, wolves in sheep’s clothing?” For that we carefully observe—what happens next? When one falls, then tries to cover it up, continues to stumble from one fall to another and casts the blame on others, not doing the hard work to change oneself—that is the very definition of a hypocrite. When, on the other hand, following a fall the aspirant continues to strive for God; through repentance or turning away from temptation the sincere seeker makes reparations where possible; and by intense sadhana—deepened meditation, humility and surrender—comes into contact with the fabric of God’s Being and is renewed in Spirit—then that one grows, and in time he or she is perfected. Humble tenacity that never gives up, and never gives in, is a sign of a true aspiring spiritual master.

A boxer may get knocked down with a terrific blow. But then comes that critical moment, does he get back up or stay down on the mat? Even though the athlete may go down, the champion gets back up, shakes off the blinding pain and continues—and may very well go on to win. The sign of a champion athlete is not that he never stumbles, but that he never gives up. So too for the spiritual champion. One may take a knock, but what comes next is not to grovel in the mud and give up, but to pick oneself up, wash the muck off, heal the wounds, and get right back on the path to Self-realization.

As our dear Lahiri Baba prescribed, striving, striving, striving, behold, one day the Goal! There is a saying that, “Rust never sleeps,” so too with ignorance, it never goes on vacation. Every day proves the necessity for striving in our spiritual practice. Ego’s default is to seek out the muddy puddles of ignorance—where it feels at home. However, there comes a day through ever-deepening practice when we feel more at home swimming in the Ocean of Light and Bliss, inwardly attuned to Spirit—this then, is the new normal.

I have put to words here what my Lord was speaking to me wordlessly. May these teachings be one of healing the past, and renewed hope for what is to come—a deepened understanding for your own journey and compassionate clarity for the lives of others. As an aspirant you must work and strive with all of your heart, mind and will, you must hold the highest standards ever before you. Attaining the supreme truth reveals that real discernment is always saturated with compassion for all those who strive. We are all on our journey, and everyone must return to the Source from which we have come. The wise make straight the way of the Lord; the wise do not look left or right, but ever strive and ultimately achieve the purity of the highest realization.

Jesus, the great Master came with a unifying message for all mankind—we are all children of the one Father-God, and through the perfection of our love for our Father and for all His children everywhere, we might rise up in oneness with him. As we approach the anniversary of his flawless gift of surrender and transformation, we should meditate upon his life and message, and thus be transformed into his perfect likeness.

How greatly the Master loves all humanity. There are none outside of his love, and we should be exactly as he, in all respects. To him, there are no untouchables, no one who cannot be absolved of his sins—no matter how badly that one has behaved, when he sincerely turns from wickedness and seeks the ever-pure light. In a world that divides humanity into those who are chosen and others who are outsiders, he recognizes no such barriers. Those who love, and act on that love, are his proclaimed brothers and sisters.

And he has spoken nothing but the truth, even when it cost him everything. He taught in small groups, he spoke to multitudes, and he never wavered—even when threatened with torture and death. Because he has always spoken the truth, those who are sincere recognize the power of what he says, even when they do not always understand his true meaning. Those closest to him are not immune to his sharp corrections, the keen sword of wisdom that slices ego to the bone—unrelenting, ever vigilant, finely tuned to the verities of his Heavenly Father. We too should follow his example and speak loving truth without compromise.

Although he is the Master of the ages, still he demanded nothing for himself. He did not need to be worshiped, he did not even want word to go out of his healings, rather he instructed those who experienced his grace to worship their mutual Heavenly Father. Humility was his watchword, and though he spoke with great power and authority, still he knew, It is not I, but my Heavenly Father who does all things through me. In our quest to emulate him, we too should manifest only the Father; let His light so shine through our thoughts, words and actions, that all will be inspired to seek out our Heavenly Father.

Good Friday is the apex of his—and humanities—existence. In the Garden of Gethsemane came his ultimate surrender. Although throughout his life he lived in surrender to His Heavenly Father, on that fated, darkest night he found himself in the depths of despair—his angst was a moment of tremendous spiritual crises at which time he gave all that he had, and all that he was. It was then that the arrogance of Adam and Eve was overturned; in that moment he triggered the Mystical Crucifixion in which all separation from God was to be effaced; no longer would there be any sense of self, but only oneness, only God. We too must surrender our all, we too must traverse Gardens—from the barred gates of Eden to Gethsemane’s Not my will, but Thine—from being a separated human to ultimate Divine Union.

From the three stages of the crucifixion must follow another three for the resurrection. “Touch me not,” means we must rise—and not fall back into separateness by temptation of body or mind. Continued surrender and perfect love for God must be enacted—eschewing all attachment to this world until the work is complete. To lift the chosen twelve up the spinal ladder of perfection—a tremendous work, a total work that must not suffer delusion’s grip at any time; though test after test are still to come.

The Master’s life is one of perfect love for God, and the resurrection must be seen to its transcendental perfection. How rare and beautiful is that final journey. And how greatly the Master beckons to us, prods us, even pleads with us to follow—so that we may know what he knows, experience what he experiences, to be what he has become.

Surely his greatness knows no end and endures for all eternity. His mystery is that in his humanity we see the all-pervasive shining Divinity. Oh children of the Infinite! He is calling to us, and we must listen—for he is awake and is seeking to rouse us from our dreaming delusion. His life is your life, his journey is yours when you emulate him in every detail. Pick up your cross Oh blessed ones, follow him and be transformed from son of man to the Son of God—know him as your very Self. Let us make this Good Friday and Easter an inspiration for our own perfect love.

There must be a foundation, firm principles, to build our spiritual practice upon that serves to lead us to freedom—not create further bondage to the ego, to the things of the senses and this world. In the East this foundation is called dharma, sometimes defined as “right action,” such as what is spelled out in the ten commandments. But, there is also inborn dharma—seen as transcendent truth. By knowing this truth you will be automatically guided to right action—or, living in conscious harmony with God. Attunement with dharma leads to spiritual freedom, ignoring or going against those principles of ultimate truth leads to wrong actions and further binds the soul in ignorance and darkness.

Spiritual teachers and practices are here to liberate us from darkness and ignorance—the word guru means from darkness to light. Dharma has become encoded into spiritual principles and laws, but just as a lawyer can look for loopholes, without sincerity those principles can be used for bad ends. For instance, I have seen people “just telling the truth,” who are actually using facts like a bludgeon, to hurt and maim. For dharma to be fulfilled, truth must be combined with compassion, love and ahimsa (do no harm).

In the spiritual field, even as in the fields of politics, business and psychology there are those who come along who seek to rewrite the rules of right action, either through their public teachings or their private behavior. It never turns out well. These “false prophets” become a law unto themselves, and though they begin with a promise of freedom and liberation, they, and those around them soon become ensnared in their own ignorance.

Some devotees let me know about a documentary of a spiritual teacher named Rajneesh, later called Osho—a teacher from India who came to America for a time and was expedited back out some eight years later. We have watched three of the five part series, but have found it well done, interviewing people actually involved on both side of the issue. It is a disturbing story of actual events, and comes as a cautionary tale.

Rajneesh came on the scene when many Westerners were looking for alternatives to their own culture. He combined some traditional teachings of India (he had been a professor of philosophy in India) along with what he termed to be revolutionary methods for awakening. He taught followers to access the deepest emotions and desires, act them out, then find calm in meditation—this, he called transmutation of the energy.

In theory, and rightly understood, there is some element of truth in this. For instance, a married couple can enjoy a sexual union that is transformed by love, caring, commitment and spiritual attunement that transmutes a purely physical act into one of pure love and spiritual union.  Or, anger may be channeled in a safe environment where ground rules are understood and achieve a catharsis of deeply held feelings.

However, in practice, the groups led by Rajneesh, anger was acted out in  group shouting matches, brawling, which sometimes resulted in broken bones and injuries. Then, group sex was engaged in, traditional marriage was dismissed as irrelevant, and defined as what two or more chose to define it for as long as they wanted to do so.

Being a sannyasin was completely stood on it head, with free sexual expression without restraint, and being wealthy were encouraged for his “sannyasins.” Wearing the color of red, orange and purple was recognition of being such a sannyasin. These “principles” attracted many people of the time, a seeming release from old rules, promising a new freedom. I worked at an same agency with some who wore these “sannyasin” colors, but they worked at another facility and I did not have an opportunity to speak with them while they worked there.

Rajneesh himself was not averse to money or the finer things in life. One could not own too many Royal Royce, he had twenty or more, he wore a million dollar diamond watch, you get the picture. On the other side there were interviews with those who were profoundly affected and whose lives were changed by Rajneesh. The fact that he was irreverent, revolutionary and threw out the old rules was attractive to many. But with the rules thrown out, greed and ungoverned avarice, the unravelling was inevitable—like watching a head-on train wreck in slow motion.

The “ashram” in eastern Oregon had a disco, a casino, Rajneesh was not giving talks, said to be in silence, but took calls from his Rolls Royce dealer when ordering new cars, he was reported to be hooked on drugs, alcohol was served to the “sannyasins” every day—it was painful to see words like ashram and sannyasin turned on their head and used in opposite ways to their true meanings.

It can be tempting to think the spiritual path does not require self-discipline, rules of conduct, sacrifice, hard work, and death of the ego—that anything goes—definitely tempting to the ego-mind. Rajneesh came to the point that he privately said he admired Hitler and that opponents in Oregon would need to die. Ah, so painful to see.

And the lesson for me: Thank you Mother! Thank you for standing against the tide of free love/ casual sex, recreational use of drugs and alcohol and smoking. Thank you for upholding the eternal values of dharma. Observing my own life, and observing the lives of others, has only reinforced that necessity for living by these eternal values. Truly, there are traditions that need to be questioned, and when found faulty to be done away with. But, this should not be a wild foray into hedonism, expediency for the ego, definitely not living by the creed, “If it feels good, do it.” Such license of behavior promises easy freedom, but ends in karmic jail.

So, thank you Mother, Guru-lineage and true saints and spiritual masters for showing us the Way—for being the examples of right action. It is not the easy path of no rules, but it is the path that leads to freedom. My eternal gratitude to blessed Guru and Guru-lineage for being the Way for all of us.

Travel Note: We are driving north, actually Carla is driving right now while I am sending this out. We look forward to seeing everyone for Easter! With loving pronams

Master one time gave a Talk on that topic. He said that earlier in his life he had rejected the notion of evil, but that experience taught him there was real evil, a satanic force in creation beyond individual acts of meanness. Of course, Papa taught that the world, and all creation is God, and that God is behind every action. Mother, who grew up in fear of being a sinner and the devil, wanted us to focus our attention on God, and not on sin or evil.

So, the question is—is the world nothing but God? Or, are there forces of evil, darkness and the destruction of all that is good? Mother has helped us with this conundrum by teaching us that there are two perspectives from which to view this creation—that remain even for a fully God-realized master. The first is most common, and that is the human perspective. From a human standpoint there is evil, wrong action, and a darkness that would seek to obliterate light. The second way of knowing this creation and everything that is, is from the Divine perspective–the Universal Vision. Divine Consciousness makes us know that God is a part and parcel of all that is, there is nothing that is not teeming with Divine Essence.

The human perspective is what most people live with, and what many of the scriptures describe. Dating back to the Zoroastrian, Hindu, and Judaic religions, as well as most of sacred stories from around the world, there is an ongoing battle between good and evil. We are warned about evil tendencies and to avoid them; we also see the suffering that occurs through wrong actions–in our personal lives and in the world at large. There is no doubt that the compassion of realized masters is triggered when seeing such suffering in this world.

Then, through spiritual evolution the mind becomes purified, uplifted into a consciousness of Divinity. This transformation reveals ever-new bliss, universal love and omnipresent light found within and without. With this illumination a unity of Spirit is known to be behind the alternating faces of good and evil. Even actions that are normally defined as evil are seen to eventually produce enlightenment—the suffering produced by wrong actions spurring us on to seek out God Omnipresent, and/or by paying off karmic debts previously accrued. In this way, even evil is seen as part of the Divine Plan.

We are endowed with individual will, therefore we can humanly choose good or evil. Through the consequences of our actions we learn invaluable lessons. We see the results of evil, and are eventually driven to strive to go beyond this world of opposites. In this way we see, even from a human perspective, that all is working for ultimate good. Through our spiritual practice we are purified to the point that the universal vision is realized—we now actively perceive God as the sole force behind all creation. When we see actions that produce pain, our hearts bleed with compassion, and we also understand that God is truly working out His will for the highest good of all.

Human and Divine have their own ways of seeing this world, and while they are fundamentally different perspectives, they need not clash, but work together to make up “the whole man.” A loving, compassionate humanity, working for good to overcome darkness and evil propensity, and a Divine perspective that knows that Good is the “first-born” of all creation, and even now it is perfect exactly as it is. Thus, the world and heaven, human and Divine are with us in the present; and our purified vision reveals that all the world is gradually evolving toward God, and is even now is a perfect expression of the purity that is God.

It has been fascinating to be witness to the Omniscience of Divine Consciousness. Here, in the desert remoteness my awareness easily crosses the time-space barrier, making it seem as nothing, and thereby communing through God-consciousness with aspirants around the globe. For many, this recent time seems to be especially packed with changes, physical challenges, and transformations.

As a result, God gives me a share of what others go through; I live the lives of all those God has brought together for this spiritual journey. I do not seek out information about others, but through the magic of Omniscience He makes me know what I need to, and very often adds a load onto me from another’s life as well. It can be load sharing of physical pain, emotional distress, or out-of-harmony thinking. God will also spontaneously pour His power through this form—I feel it go out to individuals, families/groups, and out to the world as a whole. As I say, it is fascinating to observe what Divine Intelligence and Power does in and around this form.

From an early age and into adulthood I worked on farms and other physical labor, played sports and physical activities. Through training for sports and hard work the body was taken to the limits of endurance and pain. This was, as it turned out, an excellent primer for what God puts this form through today on a daily basis. One of the specialties of God in my case, is to channel tremendous power through this form—it is wonderful, blissful, painful, and requires total surrender. An irony is that there is little life-force given for the maintenance of this body; so that moving from one part of a room to another is all I can muster. Other times the switch is flicked on and I have “normal” life-energy flowing through this body and I can walk and work in a completely normal way.

The other day Carla and I were out for a walk, what can be a rare phenomenon for me at times. It was an act of pure will to keep going, but I was managing. Then we came to a slight incline, I stopped several times to catch my breath and gather a bit more life-energy. It was reminiscent of when I was extremely anemic—when the doctor said he was surprised I was able to walk into the emergency room. This incident made us both wonder, could this be anemia again? The next day I told God, “You need to prove this is not anemia.” Later that day I felt I could take a walk, Carla and I headed out over the desert and I was walking so fast Carla had to trot at times to keep up. All was well, and the next day, even though much of the day I could not move that much, I have had another vigorous walk. The ability for movement never felt so good.

There is a primary difference in all that God puts me through from the earlier “training” in my youth of hard physical work and training in sports—today, God’s Presence is tangibly with me, actually embedded in all He puts me through. Pain and bliss are intermingled, intense pressure and His Presence go hand in hand, life-less-ness in the body and tremendous shakti-power occur simultaneously—even though God’s remarkable power pours through like a full bore train, yet the body can barely stand and move from here to there. Also, there are times when the power builds when interacting directly with others, creating a backlog of pressure that threatens to break me apart, but then I can easily stretch out over all-space and feel intimate connection with others (I am in full sympathy with yogis and mystics seeking out secluded caves).

But, this primary difference in my life today, God’s living Presence, makes all the difference. It enables me to rejoice in His work and not despair, it gives me complete knowledge that this is His will, and therefore everything He is doing is enacted for the higher good of all. It most definitely proves what Papa said, Pain and Bliss are the same; and what Mother said, God is life, and all life is God. Every experience easily fits within these truths, and all contradictions are resolved in the one unifying confluence of Spirit.

It was on March 10 that Master and other disciples buried Sri Yukteswarji, having attained mahasamadhi on March 9. The delay of one day (In India bodies are many times dealt with on the same day as their death) was due to Master steaming by locomotive from Calcutta to Puri. Sri Yukteswarji had cabled Master to come right away, but Master had some things to finish and delayed coming–he was not there for his guru’s mahasamadhi. This was something that Master had a very hard time forgiving himself for, and finally found resolution when Sri Yukteswarji resurrected himself to Master months later in distant Bombay.

In India, most corpses are publicly cremated as a rite of purification very soon following death. However, young children and swamis, considered already pure, are therefore either buried or swaddled in cloth and put into a holy river. Sri Yukteswarji was buried, seated in full lotus posture. When I was at Sri Yukteswarji’s seaside hermitage in Puri, there was a peculiar picture up on the wall of the Bhajan Hall. It was strange, and I stared at it not quite comprehending. I suddenly realized that the great master was seated in meditation posture, Master and another disciple each had a hand on either of his two shoulders holding him up. Sri Yukteswarji had already fled the body, no longer inhabiting that form, but he was sitting up in the midst of devotees—the juxtaposition of this picture took a bit for my mind to understand. It was shocking by our Western standards—but a powerful picture.

Master designed a Samadhi Temple to be constructed over the site where Sri Yukteswarji’s body was put to rest. Like traditions around the world, the bones of a saint are considered holy and to be revered. This has interestingly sometimes led to fights between disciples and communities as to where the remains would find a home. This “spiritual materialism” was sometimes driven by pride of ownership, also a community could become wealthy as a pilgrimage site. Despite these pedestrian motives that sometimes surround the body of a great saint, there is no doubt as to the uplifting power that comes from the remains of a realized master.

I have experienced the power of the remnants of divine personalities: Lahiri Mahasaya’s in Haridwar, Master’s at Forest Lawn, Mother Hamilton’s in The Rose Garden at Floral Hills, Papa’s bones in the Bhajan Hall, Anandamayi Ma’s in Kankhal, Meher Baba’s in Meherabad, Sai Baba’s in Shirdi, to name some—and, of course, Sri Yukteswarji’s in Puri.

My first darshan of the Puri Samadhi Temple came in 1998, when on pilgrimage there with Swami Vishwananda, Larry, Cate and Phyllisji (read a further description in My Spiritual India, pg. 25 @ www.crossandlotus.com ). It was thrilling to enter the grounds, walk in that ashram hallowed by both Sri Yukteswarji and Master. The doors to the Samadhi Temple were unlocked by the swami and we sat in meditation posture. Indeed, it was powerful, uplifting, even transforming. Swami Vishwananda was obviously moved, more deeply than I observed in any other pilgrimage spot to which we went. We all felt its uplifting power.

Since that darshan, I saw Sri Yukteswarji in a brand new light. Through Master’s descriptions, Sri Yukteswar often came across as stern, uncompromising in principle, and critical. Of course, Master was in training under Sri Yukteswarji and being prepared for a very difficult and powerful mission in the West; Sri Yukteswarji played a grounding role in Master’s life. Beforehand, I definitely had the feeling this great God-man, while possessing a tremendous sense of humor, would be difficult to be around. However, with my experience in his Samadhi Temple, I came to know his unalloyed joy and sweetness of spirit! This came as a revelation, and very unexpectedly.

After our meditation, we walked the grounds of the Karar Ashram, and then the doors of the master’s bedroom were unlocked and we were given the opportunity to have its darshan. Even though the room was not well kept, dusty and stacks of newspapers on the floor, still the power of that room, with its simple wooden bed and very few items—but my, what a powerful vibration fills that room. We never wanted to leave!

I reflected on my surprising discovery of Sri Yukteswarji’s unbounded joy on the spot he was buried. My mind was directed to Master’s description from the Autobiography of a Yogi, The Resurrection of Sri Yukteswar:

“I have now told you, Yogananda, the truths of my life, death, and resurrection. Grieve not for me; rather broadcast everywhere the story of my resurrection from the God-dreamed earth of men to another God-dreamed planet of astrally garbed souls! New hope will be infused into the hearts of misery-mad, death-fearing dreamers of the world.” “Yes, Master!” How willingly would I share with others my joy at his resurrection! “On earth my standards were uncomfortably high, unsuited to the natures of most men. Often I scolded you more than I should have. You passed my test; your love shone through the clouds of all reprimands.” He added tenderly, “I have also come today to tell you: Never again shall I wear the stern gaze of censure. I shall scold you no more.” How much I had missed the chastisements of my great guru! Each one had been a guardian angel of protection. “Dearest Master! Rebuke me a million million times—do scold me now!” “I shall chide you no more.” His divine voice was grave, yet with an undercurrent of laughter. “You and I shall smile together, so long as our two forms appear different in the maya-dream of God. Finally we shall merge as one in the Cosmic Beloved; our smiles shall be His smile, our unified song of joy vibrating throughout eternity to be broadcast to God-tuned souls!”

Something in the expressional nature of Sri Yukteswarji changed after his passing– “Never again shall I wear the stern gaze of censure…our smiles shall be His smile, our unified song of joy vibrating throughout eternity to be broadcast to God-tuned souls!” I now had firsthand experience of his joy—unexpectedly, surprisingly, and wonderfully real. And since that experience at his Samadhi Temple in Puri almost twenty years ago, Sri Yukteswarji now stands not only as a symbol and a reality of uncompromising clarity in regards to wisdom and truth, but as an effervescent bubbling up of pure and ever-new joy. On this day of remembrance, may his light of wisdom and divine joy be broadcast to God-tuned souls everywhere.

Note: I always enjoy hearing your comments about postings. You may send at Yogacharya@crossandlotus.com

It was on March 7^th that Master chose to leave his body while addressing a large crowd, speaking of the unique relationship of India and America, and concluding with his poem, My India. 1952 was the year, and its events can seem long ago—out of sight and mind. Yet, all lives continue to resonate down through time, and that is even more true for such a greatly realized soul as our dear Master.

Spiritual masters continue to be inspirations for generations, even millenniums after an incarnation. Sometimes this is due to organizations that keep the masters in the collective consciousness, but even more relevant is the fact that having become established in eternal Life, a true master’s grace can communicate itself to a sincere devotee throughout all time and without regard for spatial distance.

Think of electricity coming from some great power source, and through a series of transmission lines it comes into your home, to a plug-in near you. However, even though the flowing electricity is right next to you, you still need to plug into the socket and have an implement that can take advantage of its power. And this is how it is with knowing God and His great spiritual masters. The electricity of their grace is ever flowing to us, in fact is all around us, but only if we plug in and have the capacity of utilizing that flow of spiritual power can it really make a difference in our lives.

Prayer, meditation and deep God-remembrance is the plugging in, and depending upon the capacity of the instrument (of your body, mind and soul), you may make use of that grace. A small instrument will perhaps manifest a little light and will occasionally perform some small selfless act of service. A greater instrument will brightly illumine a room and be in the saddle of service to God, but that service is mixed with self-interest. Then there will be those who bring light to the whole world, and are perfectly surrendered servants of the Almighty.

What sort of instrument was Master? Master’s mother related to him that even from his birth, the perfect master, Lahiri Mahasaya had made a tremendous prediction:

“I first knew your destined path when you were but a babe in my arms. I carried you then to the home of my guru in Benares. Almost hidden behind a throng of disciples, I could barely see Lahiri Mahasaya as he sat in deep meditation. “While I patted you, I was praying that the great guru take notice and bestow a blessing. As my silent devotional demand grew in intensity, he opened his eyes and beckoned me to approach. The others made a way for me; I bowed at the sacred feet. My master seated you on his lap, placing his hand on your forehead by way of spiritually baptizing you. “‘Little mother, thy son will be a yogi. As a spiritual engine, he will carry many souls to God’s kingdom.’ “My heart leaped with joy to find my secret prayer granted by the omniscient guru. Shortly before your birth, he had told me you would follow his path.”

Of course, the great master’s prediction bore fruit. Master plugged into God, and, like a great steam engine he helped so many others to do the same—according to their capacity and their willingness. Mother Hamilton was one of the greatest of these sincere ones with incredible capacity. Mother describes a moment of heartfelt surrender to her Master after his passing. Master’s body had been kept in his room, and after a night of staying with his body, Mother describes:

On the morning that they were going to take him from his room, he was laid out on the bed. He didn’t have any shoes on. He had little blue socks. He was beautifully formed. His hands, his feet were perfect. I was all alone in the room with him for the moment. And I had been so glued to him, so attached to him, my love for him was so great that it extended beyond human comprehension, and my loss was indeed terrible. So, I knelt at his feet and put my head on first one foot and then the other. As I held my head there, I prayed with everything I had in me that God would take me, would lift me up and use me to even some small degree of the way that He had used my Master, to take God’s children to Him. And as I knelt there—and this is the truth as I stand before you, and God knows it—all of a sudden, from these feet came a charge of electricity that went right through the center of my head, as though he had known—that he was consciously in that body yet.

New generations have come since Master and Mother’s passings, and the power of their message continues as mightily as ever; “Come, follow me!” Let us be inspired by Master and Mother’s lives, to plug into the universal current that God is constantly sending out to this vast creation. Know that the only limit is your willingness and growing capacity. Link your consciousness onto the powerful engine of Master through reading his words, thinking upon him, meditating upon the endless divinity that animated him in life; when you merge into him, you merge into the same Infinite Spirit he loved so much. God bless Master, and God bless the Work he came to do–to awaken all of us, all of creation to the Presence of our most perfect Creator.

“Will you still need me,

Will you still feed me,

When I’m 64?”

Beatle’s Song

I remember when I was young thinking that when someone in their sixties passed away, “Well of course, they are old.” How time changes my perspective! Touching the fabric of eternity, 64, 100 or a 1,000 years seems but a blink. I stand on the brink of timelessness, and from that perspective I am, and we are all, eternally at the beginning. It is exciting, enthralling, and propelling to think of all that can be explored, all the ways we might serve—everything that God has for each one of us as His life unfolds before us.

While the body goes through certain changes as the miles pile up, it does not change the ever-new Joy of God-experience. Master described his conversation with the fully realized master Swami Pranabananda, the saint with two bodies:

The body of Pranabananda, which had appeared so well and strong during my amazing first visit to him in Benares, now showed definite aging, though his posture was still admirably erect. “Swamiji,” I inquired, looking straight into his eyes, “please tell me the truth: Aren’t you feeling the advance of age? As the body is weakening, are your perceptions of God suffering any diminution?” He smiled angelically. “The Beloved is more than ever with me now.” His complete conviction overwhelmed my mind and soul. He went on, “I am still enjoying the two pensions-one from Bhagabati here, and one from above.” Pointing his finger heavenward, the saint fell into an ecstasy, his face lit with a divine glow—an ample answer to my question.

And I can truly say, God is more than ever with me now.

I have received many emails and birthday cards from around the world, and it brings to mind the most wonderful gift of my life: that we share this time on the earth in order that all of us can go to God together. In my younger days I spent much of my spiritual journey on my own. Even after meeting my beloved Guru, it was a few years before I got to know the wonderful souls who were with Mother. Before Mother’s Talk we came in silently and sat to meditate. Afterwards, I would sit wrapped in her uplifting power, not wanting to lose any of it. After others had hugged Mother I would stand in line and once hugged, head for my car. As God would have it, I did not live in the Seattle area, so I drove three hours each way to see Mother through some of these years. I remember driving west towards Seattle, and when I came to Lake Washington I could feel Mother’s ambience, an aura of spiritual power and presence that surrounded Seattle. I chanted God’s name, faithfully practiced Kriya, but remained without many kindred spirits with which to share this path. One virtue of this isolation—I was aware of my inner spiritual connection with Mother that was independent of others, a deep bond that transcended time and space and what others said or did.

However, with time close spiritual connections were created—bonds of hearts and souls. Even though God has taken me on this wanderer’s life for now, I feel that powerful connection in God with you, even as I felt it with Mother. Time, space, age, circumstances in life, all these fade into a muted background, and what stands crystal clear is my union with God, and with all dear friends.

Sri Yukteswarji said in his Holy Science that God fulfills all of the heart’s desires. I can attest to this truth. In the fullness of this heart, overflowing with the Divine Presence as I write these words, from this heart may that same love, power and light flood out over all time and space and touch your heart and soul—may you feel the same greatness and timelessness of Spirit in our Infinite Beloved that I feel now.