We recently held a Kriya Yoga Initiation in the boyhood home of Paramhansa Yogananda at 4 Gurpar Road in Kolkata. This site is made holy, not only by the many years that Master lived here, but also because of uniquely sacred events that took place at this spot. It was here that Babaji appeared and blessed Yoganandaji before his mission to America. Some years earlier Divine Mother had appeared in his little attic meditation room, tenderly telling him, “Always have I loved thee, ever shall I love thee.”
It was in this room that Devi and I prepared ourselves for the Initiation. During my meditation the question came spontaneously to my mind, “Master, was I with you in a previous life?” Immediately came a resounding, “Yes,” but with no details of time or place.
It takes many lifetimes to acquire the good karma to be a sincere devotee of a great guru. Last November in Bangalore, India, we had a Nadhi reading, which is similar to the Brighu reading that Swami Kriyananda has written about. We were mesmerized as the pundit translated Sanskrit words written on ancient papyrus leaves. His soft voice gave intricate details about our health, family, and mental tendencies and events of this life. Their accuracy gave credence to the many unverifiable statements about our past and future.
Without any foreknowledge of who we were, the pundit told us that we had been together in many lifetimes as disciples of three great souls: Babaji, Paramhansa Yogananda, and Swami Kriyananda. I think many of us in our Ananda family have lived with each other before. Self-realization, or even the quest for it, is not the product of a few paltry lifetimes. As our soul nature slowly deepens, we are drawn again and again to those friends who share our search, our lives entwining in intricate patterns.
Yogananda begins his beautiful poem God! God! God! with these words:
From the depths of slumber,
As I ascend the spiral stairway of wakefulness,
I whisper:
God! God! God!
This verse speaks of both the waking from our nightly sleep and, more importantly, the slow emerging from the slumber of lifetimes. The dreams of maya are filled with countless ego-driven dramas. But freedom comes as we slowly climb the spiral (and spinal) stairway that leads to our eternal home. We are near, very near, when our heart constantly whispers, “God! God! God!”
In Master’s light,
Nayaswami Jyotish
10 Comments
Dear Nayaswami Jyotish,
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful letter. How blessed it is to be in the Room where Babaji and Divine mother appeared before Master. We feel the Energy.
Happy to know that we are connected to Swamiji and Masters to our members of Ananda in previous lives.
Such lovely it is to read and feel :)
Aum
Premkumar S
wonderful sharing…thanks a lot
Thank you Jyotish! “Always have I loved thee, ever shall I love thee.” So very powerful and tender…
May I ask, where can I find what Swamiji wrote regarding his Brighu reading?
Thank you for sharing. Really Wonderful. Sometimes, I think fortunate are those who get to see/visit such places and my mind starts thinking why can’t I get such opportunities. I get tied into this survival mode wherein we go to office to earn our living and catering family needs – taking care of children and adjust our schedule to their needs. One thing i realized over the course of time, that if the mind is not pure then where you go whatever extent that place may be holy, its not going to help. Mind needs to pure and receptive. Real place to visit is within and that should purify the mind. External places do help sincere and devoted seekers to advance further.
Reading about Nadhi reading, my mind is tempted to know what’s the name of Nadhi reading. Can we do this through online process or we need to be there at that place. I always doubted such things about their authenticity. However, reading here about this, I would appreciate if Jyotish ji can share the name of Nadhi reader and any more useful info about them. Thanks!!!
Dearests Jyotish, Thank you for this very inspiring letter! I too felt the Light of Truth and Joy coming through your words and experience.
Bless you for what you allow to come through you dear soul! So many in need and desiring the awareness of our Beloved’s Presence. You are making it possible for them to achieve what their heart only dreamed of!!!! Swamiji loves you so! Love, brindey
Thank You, Thank You,Blessings
Bless you Jyotish,
Your insight and attunement are inspirational!
Thank You!
~~~Peace, Josette
Not to pick overly at fine points, but I am just wondering how it would have been possible for a soul, either in this or in past lives, to have been a *disciple* of Kriyananda. Jyotish, were you using this term loosely here? It is my understanding that one can only be a *disciple* of a *guru,* who is a fully liberated soul. Apparently Swamiji did not become fully liberated until the end of this life, and further, by Swami’s own accession, Yogananda was the last in the SR line of gurus; thus, Kriyananda insisted he was simply a “teacher.” I understand that if one follows a teacher one is considered his *student,* not *disciple.* Not that this is that critical a point in light of this message’s thrust, which I fully appreciate: that souls in the same ray have been thus for incarnations. That is a beautiful and sublime truth to ponder!
Thank you Jyotish & Devi,
I was one of the fortunate ones to receive the Kriya Initiation from you on 21st September at Master’s house.
Thank you for the simplicity with which you guide and inspire us.
Thank you
Aum Guru
Anil Sinha
Dear Nayasway Joytish Ji
Thank you for sharing your in depth feeling which is so inspiring.
With Gratitude
R Sundararajan