Picture: Master attained needed velocity! Flower arrangements by Rebecca H.
The after-effect of this past weekend of Christmas celebration continues to be with me. The feeling of warmth, love and delight at coming together: caroling in Christmas, communion with our Beloved, friendship and a delectable potluck—all combined to be a feast for the soul.
Certainly, devotees coming together in Satsang to commune with Truth, the eternal Being, is of tremendous help for our spiritual practice. Traditionally this is done when we come together as a group to focus upon God alone. However, the inner meaning of Satsang is fulfilled anytime you are merged in God; then there is association through oneness with Sat: the great I AM.
How to describe what living in Him, and He in me, is like? There is only He, the Divine Consciousness that is the eternal Substance, all power and all intelligence—everything there is! I do remember my life before living in Him, I remember the pain of being separate from God. Also, through my sadhana years I know the times of being with God alternating with the loss of connection with Him. To be in continuous communion with the Divine is categorically different from those previous states; a type of quantum leap. It is important that we keep the Goal of goals in the forefront, so that we do not stop short of experiencing Him deeply and continuously.
When Master was told by his guru that he had discovered God, Yogananda protested that he did not think that he had. Sri Yukteswarji went straight to the heart of the confusion: God-realization is not the attainment of miraculous powers—it is ever-new joy. We all love to have God come in super-ordinary ways, but really, miracles are small potatoes compared to exploring His vast Being. The real touchstone of God-experience is blissful joy.
How to add velocity to your spiritual practice so that you may fully realize the Divine Presence within and without? We have been given the very best tools to gain the highest consciousness: Kriya yoga meditation, chanting, keeping your mind on God, serving Him in all you do and in whom all you meet, and divinely loving Him is all-inclusive and propels you to ultimate fulfillment as a modern house-holder yogi.
I have had nothing but growing admiration for Babaji’s Kriya Yoga as taught by Master—with the perspective of over 40 years of practice since my initiation by my blessed Guru. I know of no other practice that works so directly with the spine and the brain for the evolution of all three bodies: the physical, astral and causal. The deeper we go in our practice, the more profound are the changes that occur in the subtle spine through breath, focus of mind and transformative life-energy. We are truly blessed for the intelligent design that has gone into this practice and provides for perfect balance.
To accelerate all areas of your spiritual practice you must hone your ability to focus on the Goal. Two great drivers in my sadhana was the need to know the truth, and, to experience bliss; these were not just casual ideas, but were constant needs that rendered all other desires distantly archaic. To add propellant to your aspiration for God you must have a compelling aspect of God that you cannot live without.
To break out of the earth’s gravity a rocket must attain the speed of 25,000 miles per hour. To break the gravity of earthly attachment you must necessarily travel at the speed of God! Which can only be attained by His booster rocket of Grace. You draw Grace to yourself when you love the Lord thy God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul. Attain the velocity you need by finding that part of God you must have beyond all other desires. Then, He cannot stay away, but will be drawn irresistibly by the magnet of your love—breaking free of earthly bonds and floating free in His truth and His bliss.