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Part 1: Awakening from the Dream of Life Each of us has, at some point, experienced and realized that life is like a dream—a dream that begins at birth and ends with death. In such moments, consciously or subconsciously, we ask ourselves: what is the meaning of this dream? The answer is known to those who have awoken from this transient dream into the reality of eternity. Mahāśvara Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Maheśvarānandajī is on his way through India, the land that has never ceased to dream of awakening. Our first steps take us on a pilgrimage to where Param Yogeśvara, Śrī Devpurījī, lived as the incarnation of Śiva, the light of awakening. This ashram in the village of Kailash guards the physical trace of the saint, which keeps the presence of his immortal spirit alive. Since daybreak, both birds and people sing an ode to the light which awakens. The desire of numerous seekers to meet the awakened one leads Svāmījī and us to Sujāṅgara. This town is well known for the great number of saints who lived there. That is why the joy of encounter with Svāmījī was so great. From the profoundness of the relationship of the seekers comes also the profoundness of the words of the yogī. Within this endless space resides the cosmic consciousness, not in a dormant state, not in suṣupti avasthā, but in a steady state, a peaceful state: śānta-kāraṁ bhujaṅga-śayanaṁ. The individual consciousness merges into the cosmic consciousness only through the human body and human efforts, through human qualities and through human consciousness. That is how Guru Tattva, the light of consciousness in the form of Svāmījī, moved further on, always greeted with love and tenderness of which this country is so full. This unhidden joy and excitement surrounding Svāmījī is a constant image wherever he goes. He is carried by that love; he knows not of fatigue and goes wherever he is summoned. The basic idea of the Indian spirit is mokṣa, liberation from the suffering of transience. This liberation comes only with liberation from ignorance, the gaining of knowledge of one’s own self. This is why here, the Jñānī Guru, the liberated one, is welcomed with the utmost respect. His presence and His word are considered to be the highest blessing, the grace of God. From place to place, Gurū Dev is greeted with music, dance, and attentive expectation. He was living as a great saint, Gordan Purījī Mahārāj, who went into samādhi, mahāsamādhi, while sitting in meditation, and then he sent Om and went. Such a great saint, in such a desert, in this saint, you can’t believe, but you know, the diamonds are always found in the dust. Vastāy Bābjī Kiyo Kī Vando Bhārat Varṣ Bhūmi Jā Satguru Darśan Hoī Ātmā Jñān Yahī Mile Aur Deśh Nay Koī. These words of Svāmījī’s were a true announcement of the place to which we later came. Here in the endless width of the Thar Desert is located the village of Badikattu. Here, where time still pulses in harmony with nature, was the place where Bhagavān, Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa, Mahāprabhujī often stayed. This ashram is the memory of the years which the awakened one spent here. Every temple and every building here was built by Svāmījī in glory and gratitude to his Iṣṭa Devatā, his personal God. Every daybreak, as the true time of awakening, is dedicated to the Divine One, light for the light. Prayer, as the light of the heart, serves for the glory of the awakened one. Morning sādhanā, held in the perfect place, Kathūprāṇa. Greetings to the Kaṭhu, in the Kaṭhu, before the master of prāṇa, Prāṇāyāma. Here, we inhale life into the body and soul. Not far from the Ashram, another authentic spiritual spot is located. In this room, Śrī Devpurījī often stayed. It preserves the prāṇa, the breath, and the spirit of Mahāyogī. From the hill above Barikatu, the view discovers another jewel of memory to the great soul. On the path which Śrī Mahāprabhujī walked up to 40 years ago, we headed towards the small āśrama in which Viśvadīpa, the light of the universe, lived for decades. Here, every ego and every being dissolves before the magnificence and simplicity of the embodiment of the divine. Svāmījī is once again at the source of immense prāṇa and mercy, from which he draws strength, the depth of his wisdom, and the purity of his service. In such a place, it is completely obvious that awakening and liberation are a real possibility, available to anyone who truly cares for it. Like in a fairy tale, like in a beautiful dream, Svāmījī leads us to Harivāsānī. This village is the birthplace of Mahāprabhujī. This is the house where he was born under the name of Dīp Nārāyaṇa. This is the small room where he stayed occasionally. This is the real bed of Mahāprabhujī. This is one of the oldest. Welcome to the holy place of Mahāprabhujī, Mahāprabhujī’s birthplace. Here we can feel the practical field on which Mahāprabhujī spread his Līlā and did all his works. Sajjano, Bhagavān kā jahāṁ avatār hotā hai, jis deś meṁ, jis bhūmi meṁ, wo purī sansār ke liye hotā hai. Sūrya uday hotā hai, to purī sansār ke liye prakāś sabhī ko detā hai. In the dream of life, a man needs support and sanctuary to which he steers his spiritual aspirations. In India, this support is Iṣṭa Devatā, the personal God. Iṣṭa Devatā can be one of the divine incarnations, a liberated yogī, or a personal Gurudeva. The relationship between a devoted seeker and an Iṣṭa Devatā is deeply close and personal. Iṣṭa Devatā is the support, the way, and the final goal. Here we marked the anniversary of Mahāprabhujī’s departure to Mahāsamādhi with a great satsaṅga. In this place, 41 years ago, after a 135-year-long life, Śrī Mahāprabhujī defiantly left his body, entering irreversibly the divine consciousness. This life is a tapasyā, sab din hotan ek samān, every day is not equal, but if our mind is steady and inside we have the love for God, then we are ready to go through any kind of difficulties, therefore every day is a golden day. Dharma karne wāle kā, ye sahasrār se ātmā jo hai, śarīra chhoṛtī jāye. Ātmā sahasrār cakra se nikalatī hai. Bhol Satguru Dev, Jai Bhāratī, Jai Bhāratī. Param sukha aur ānanda kī dhām meṁ prāpta hotā hai, phir kabhī bhī vah duḥkha meṁ nahīṁ jātā hai. And that sādhanā, satsaṅga, is achieved through constant practice. This video revived for a moment the unforgettable divine diamond, Śrī Madhavānandajī, our holy Gurujī, without whom this dream is no longer the same. In memory of Śrī Mahāprabhujī and holy Gurujī, the two of our paramagurus, a bandhārā, a traditional meal for the numerous sādhus and bhaktas, was organized. After the Bandhārā began, an unforgettable evening in which bhajanas, spiritual songs, went one after another, like flowers in a wreath, all the way till the break of day. The next day, in Chottakattu, Svāmījī was the honorable guest of the Jains’ conference dedicated to nonviolence. Meeting with the leader, Śrī Mahāprajñājī, was suffused with mutual understanding of the increasing importance of nonviolence. Fear is the biggest problem in our world. We want to create an environment of fear through nonviolence. The highest principle in this universe is nonviolence, nonviolence. Svāmījī’s awareness of the depths of unrest and the significance of peace in the world takes us to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Passing by the pink city with its sights known the world over, we head towards the university where Svāmījī had organized an international conference on Indian culture and world peace. Here we heard profound ideas taken from the Vedic culture, ideas which could make a great contribution to world peace and from which everybody in this ever so egocentric civilization could benefit. For the West, nature is something to be subdued, to be controlled, to be exploited for the benefit of man, for the development of man. But no, that is not our concept. We worship nature, as nature is our mother. How can a child control the mother? Purījī, Purījī... Śāstre rakṣite rāṣṭre, śāstra cintā pravartate, japtak śānti nahī hogī, to na koī yog sādhanā ho saktī hai, na vedānt kā cintan ho saktā hai. We are talking today about world peace. Peace begins first from one’s own heart, from one’s own home and own society, one’s own country, and then we should talk about the world. That is my opinion, dear brothers and sisters. I do believe that thanks to the renaissance of the original Indian culture, mankind will have a better chance to overcome its ethical and moral problems. A closing festivity of sport matches of the native nations of India was held here in Jaipur. India, as a subcontinent, is the proud home of numerous ancient cultures. Guru Dev has arrived, and the entire village is on its feet. When the awakened one arrives, nobody sleeps. With every gesture, these people say, Lord, welcome to our home, welcome to our hearts. A few kilometers away, there is a new village. New people, but the thirst for the Guruvākya is the same. Invited by one of Mahāprabhujī’s bhaktas, Svāmījī entered this room, this temple, and so fell into a trap. He fell into a trap of love, out of which there is no easy escape. This love, founded in spirituality, Svāmījī found here in the ashram of Holy Gurujī in the village of Nepal. It was here that he, as a 13-year-old boy, devoted his life to God, to the One who is eternally awake. It was here that Svāmījī, under the guidance of Gurujī, went through his yoga sādhanā, tapas, and had devyā darśana, an encounter with God, his encounter with Mahāprabhujī. That experience, that samādhi, awoke the young sannyāsī and transformed him into a paramahaṁsa. For Svāmījī, this āśrama is packed with memories. In this place intertwine the powerful love, the warmth of gratitude, and the incurable pain of parting with Gurudeva. Not far from Nepal, this ashram lies in the village of Bola Guda. Śrī Mahāprabhujī spent many years here. His stay has enlightened this place with the harmony of the soul forever. It is up to us to preserve and also to realize within ourselves this spirit of purity, simplicity, and serenity which Bhagavān left us. Svāmījī’s next invitation takes us straight to the heart of Hindu tradition. A festive opening of a temple devoted to the Holy Mother was held in the village of Genri. Part 2: A Pilgrimage of Grace and Awakening This village has existed for 700 years, and the statue of the goddess around which this temple is built has existed in this place for 900 years. The Divine Mother is the embodiment of grace, and grace is more than enough of a reason for unhidden joy. In this land, love between God and man has always been direct and free. Such is the conduct towards the Divine Messengers. In this house in the village, there is a room in which Śrī Mahāprabhujī, the dearest of guests, used to stay. The presence of the holy saints, wherever they visit in the world, is always radiating that divine light. This dream of awakening is dripping with jewels. One of these jewels is the temple in Ranakpur, a rare confluence of devotion and art. This temple is an eloquent testimony to the cultural heritage of India and its unique architecture. The most fascinating aspect of this temple is its 1,444 pillars. Here, an artistic genius engraved exquisite artistic elegance and, with deep devotion, wrote out a song in stone. This is Udaipur, known as the city of peace and happiness. True peace and true happiness are known and given only by the awakened saints. Welcome to one Paramahaṃsa, the highest swan, a symbol of a liberated soul. That is why all generations are here to show, both as individuals and as a culture, their joy at meeting with Swāmījī. The warm welcome was not only for Swāmījī, but also for an ever so dear guest, Monsignor David Kapo from Australia. There are many ways, but the Guru, the Vedas—the Vedas mean knowledge—the one who takes us towards knowledge is Bharadvāja. I come to India to be with Swāmījī because I recognize him and value him as a world leader, a world spiritual leader. A holy man who is bringing light into our world among many nations. Swamiji, we are your disciples and friends. We ask your continued blessings upon us and upon all the world. Thank you. Friends, between religions and cultures and nations, the morning was dedicated to the practice of yoga, without which we cannot be prepared for awakening. How will we master our mind if we cannot master our breath and body? The mastering of movement and mastering stillness is a cosmic achievement. And breath is not only the oxygen, but with this fine breath, we nourish ourselves to the cosmic mother, the cosmic light, the cosmic energy. She is nourishing her child in the form of breath. Swamijī is the guest of honor at the evening satsaṅg in Mīrā Kālamandir. This institution was established in the glory of one of the most stirring spiritual giants in the world, Mīrābāī. With the profoundness and purity of her devotion and poetry, Mīrā remains an unsurpassed example to all spiritual seekers of the world. This is the perfect setting for the meeting of two old friends, Swāmījī and Śrī Murali Manohar Jī. Bhakti Paramparā, Jñāna Paramparā, dono paramparā, adbhut saṅgam, akhāṛī dekhne ko milegā, samīra kī jīvana darśana meṁ milegā. Mira is that spiritual resonance, the resonance which is in the entire universe. Ātmā Soī Paramātmā, Savī Praṇī, Merī Ātmā Hai. Swamijī’s nature and dharma take him from the most remote villages to the greatest of cities. This is Mumbai, the former Bombay, one of the largest cities in the world. Swamiji is a guest here at a conference of Indians who live outside of India. Successful Indians have come here from all over the world to see how they can aid their country. Swamiji, there was a special conference held here related to Rajasthan. Most of the ideas, which were introduced by Mrs. Vasundhara Raje, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Swamiji has already been successfully enforcing in his Om Ashram. These are educational projects, the preservation of culture, the collection of drinking water, environmental protection, and health plans for both people and animals. In any country, the government cannot do everything by itself. The general well-being also requires the effort of an individual. The arrival of a saint in someone’s home is considered to be a great blessing. Swamiji’s visit to the home of the bhaktas of Holy Gurujī started with a Guru Pūjā. Guru Pūjā is devotion and prayer to a living God. Only such an attitude on the part of the seeker enables a guru to truly bless the lives of disciples. This is why India was and remains a country in which God is truly alive. Once they knew of the Swāmījī’s presence, numerous friends and neighbors of the host raced for darśana. Meeting the Mahātma, the Great Soul, is the greatest possible inspiration for a spiritual seeker. Through darśan, we recognize what we are truly looking for, and what we are seeking, we achieve by improving ourselves and with the Guru Mantra, whose essence is a divine name. The audience was delirious with joy when the kites took off. The sky swarmed with devices and creatures of all shapes and colors. Imagination and the length of the string were the only boundaries. Again, here in Ahmedabad, Swāmījī is the dearest guest. His dharma is to take what he has to the world, and to those who accept him, to give them as much as they can take. This time, his hosts took Swāmījī to a prison, not as a convicted one, but as one who liberates. For a while, Mahatma Gandhi, the great fighter for the non-violent liberation of India, was a prisoner here. India and the whole world owe a debt of gratitude to Mahātmā for preserving the dignity of man. And so did Swamijī. In the same way, he preserved dignity and hope for the prisoners here. And now we will never make such a mistake. We have got the time to remember Bhagavān’s bhajan. No one can imprison the soul. The soul is immortal. No one can imprison it. No one can cut it, no one can burn it, no one can quench it, no one can kill it. The soul is always immortal. The soul is always free. The body, this body and this intellect have been washed away. Mahāprabhujīp Karatā Mahāprabhujīp Karatā That evening, there were several more homes which welcomed Swamijī and whose household members he blessed. Then Gurudev headed through the streets of the city for the evening satsaṅg. These paths are laid out with love, the same love which sang out this bhajan. The next day, Swāmījī was among the guests of honor at a global conference of investors. India is one of the leading, if not the leading, country in its speed of economic growth. It is good news for all mankind that such a great country, so rich in spirit, is becoming richer in body as well. The point of Swāmījī’s presence here was the meeting with the, until recently, Premier of India, Mr. Advani, to whom the brochure with the project of Om Āśram was presented. The following meeting was with the chief minister of Gujarat, Mr. Narendra Modi. At that time, the chief minister offered Swamiji and his Yoga in Daily Life this land site for the building of a yoga retreat center. From here, one can see the temple of Ambā built in the place where, according to the legend, the Divine Mother left her heart. Not far from here is this temple of the Divine Mother, which glows with the purity of a mother’s heart. Leaving Gujarat, we once again entered Rajasthan, where Swamiji was greeted with real fireworks of emotion. This welcome could be heard all the way to heaven. Today, Pūjya Gurudev is not with us in the form of a sākār, but in the form of nirguṇa. His divine light, His divine vision, His divine grace, and His protection are on all of us. Ād Siddha Rākho, Pavitra Bhāvanā Se Mein ananya bhāv se āpke śrī caraṇa meṁ samarpit ho he prabhu, bhakti dījī, jñān dījī, sukha śānti dījī. Amāre gāoṁ meṁ purī jī, purī jī... Here in the heart of Rajasthan, Swāmījī is building a sanctuary for seekers, Om Āśram. This is the place of awakening through sādhanā, through rāja yoga. With sādhanā, one gains the necessary strength, flexibility, awareness, and peace on all levels of being. This is the place of awakening through bhakti, devotion to the highest one and to his incarnations. With bhakti yoga, we open our hearts to what we aspire to and through whom we aspire. Om Āśram is the center of jñāna, embodied by the word of wisdom. Therefore, the door of my heart I keep open wide for thee. If not physical in reality, thou appear in my physical house, but, O Lord, come to my heart. But how? Open so wide, he can’t escape. There is no other way. That’s it. Origin, open wide, origin, but that it can only do the bhaktas. And when this lightning comes, when this vibration comes, suddenly light, vibration, joy, happiness comes. Love is light, light is love, love is God, God is light, light is consciousness. That time, suddenly you feel that yes, it appeared. Then the day, that day is the most joyous, happiest day of your life. Om Ashram is the place of awakening through karma yoga as well. With selfless acts, we surpass our limitations and confusion based in egotism. That is why Om Āśram is a center of humanitarian activities. This school gives education as a pledge for the future to 250 children. Ambulances and the fire brigade are always ready to save lives and property. Ghosala, the place of refuge for abandoned cows, gives back life and security to these noble animals. This talāb, a man-made lake, is ready to receive millions of liters of monsoon rain. For this dry region, that water becomes the reservoir of life. These are the foundations of the hospital, the future refuge for those who are ill. This entire ashram is a powerful mirror. In here, we discover more easily which parts of us should be changed and which should be nourished. Under the shining sun of Rajasthan, the school children shared the joys of their skills with us. Just as the dream of life passes, so did this dream of our stay in India. This dream of awakening was crowned with satsaṅg, the unity of the awakened one and the seekers. Humans are struggling, and we are struggling to come out of all these complications, to the oneness, to the divine. Kya Kya Karāye, Kuch Ban Pāyā, Āpne Banār... Ab tum eh siddhāya ho, jīvan hī rāta jāne na pāye. Ye jāne kyā kyā karāye, kuch bata na pāye āpne banāye.