Letters From Swami Jnanananda Giri

             

  "Sri Radhey  Radha~Aradhika" 

Beloved Lover Divine!

    Each line of your dear message bespeaks of the great inspiration ~ 

How His Presence encircles and overwhelms your heart!

    What can I offer to you that would match the poem of your soul?

Awe!  Those golden moments of thy ecstasy!

    Oft times you wonder where this search will lead you to! 

And oft times you hear His flute in the fancy land of your Divine Imagination

as it captures you in an endless joy, resounding, echoing through the vast hall 

of limitless space in an eternity of time ~ from deep within your being.

    That being which is so very much my own, once lost to my sight since ages,

concealed awhile, yet seems to me revealed in the sunshine of my Divine Friend's

sweetest smile!

     As I breathe in the fragrant air of Brij, this land of Sri Vrindavan ~ makes me

remember His meeting. These eyes silently spy across the fields to yonder 

Nandagaon, Barsana, Govardhan, and once again I am lost in the reverie of feeling melancholy as I contemplate the ages old longing of each human heart! 

 ~ Just now the sun was sinking and the last hue of it's golden splendour still lingers on in my closed eyes.

    And the moving wheels roll on and on into the night ~

 Radha Aradhika  Radha Aradhika  

   Radha Aradhika  Radha Aradhika

Dear Soul,

  While in the train nearing Mathura I am having the inspiration to write to Radha.

This is a copy ~ for you too are the very Heart of Radha.

     Bless your heart.

                 OM  RADHEY  RADHEY

With my love and humble pranams to dear Santji, Ajitji, and devotees.

                                                                                 Jnanananda

                                                                               _____!!_____

(Mathura 29.10.1971}

Yogiraj Swami Jnanananda Giri

 Yogiraj Swami Jnanananda Giri
~* 27.11.1929 to 06.11.2015*~

Dharamkot, Dharamsala ...poster

In Himalayas, Dharamkot, Dharamsala this Summer up to the Monsoons. Magical!

*ღ☆¸.•°*Sharir Maharaj*ღ☆¸.•°*

 Meher Baba’s Meeting with Sharir Baba

On November 16th, Baba left Satara for Meherazad. The next day, he left on a mast tour to Uttar Pradesh, accompanied by Eruch, Pendu, Nilu and Baidul. Eruch was driving the car. There were unusually late rains, and at one place, the car had to be ferried from one bank of a stream to the other. The journey continued night and day. At one spot, they learned of a very high Hindu mast named Sharir Baba, who was staying at the residence of the Maharajah of Chhatarpur. The mast, however, was to leave the place at 3:00 P.M. that day and it was already 1:00 P.M.
Baba was very anxious to contact this mast, as he had never worked with him before. They drove at breakneck speed on the rough roads through towns and villages, covering 128 miles in two hours – and reached Chhatarpur exactly at 3:00 P.M. The mast was very old and would drink his own urine. Boxes of rotting sweetmeats and other such things were strewn in his room. A strong stench hung in the air, but the old mast would not allow anyone to clean the place.
Baba was delighted with the contact and remarked, "Our journey of hundreds of miles has been worth it!" Baba was to have been gone for two weeks. But on November 21st, because the men mandali and he were both exhausted, he canceled the rest of the tour to Uttar Pradesh and returned to Meherazad, where he intended to rest for a few days.

(Source: Bhau Kalchuri, Last Mast Journey,  Lord Meher, Vol. 15, p. 5126)


It is fascinating for me to come across this story of  Meher Babaji meeting Sharir Maharaj.
I have only heard Baba Shripadji mention him with greatest reverence, love and awe!
As well as Swami Jnanananda Giri, who spoke of Maharaj ji in great detail in his own autobiography:
Transcendent Journey. So much so that hearing the above description and the name of Chhatarpur I am sure  it is this same amazing Sharir Maharaj ji in both cases. Perhaps in the future we may write more regarding this marvelous and uniquely highly realized saint of Chhatarpur, Sharir Maharaj ji

                                                        *ღ☆¸.•°**ღ☆¸.•°*\
          .

*Shri Mukundhari ji Maharaj ~ Sankirtana Samraat of India!

*This is Shri Mukundhari ji Maharaj,~Sankirtana Samraat of India~, and there are actually some CDs of his available!!
      He is peerless and unequaled in ecstatic Bhava!!There are some earlier posts here about this wonderful saint as I knew him.  And  some short videos were made of the one amazing Sankirtana that I had tapped years ago, of which the actual full complete one is over an hour long & also ecstatic! And one doesn't even need to know Hindi, Urdu or Panjabi to enjoy them and become swept away in the Love of God!!
     So it is so good to have received these CDs by mail, from a wonderfully inspired Bhakta.
These may be ordered online!!

All Gratitude, Bliss and Love at the holy feet of Shri Mukundhariji Maharaj!!

We will ever remember you through the Hari Bhava Ecstasy of your Sankirtana.

                      ~*~*~*~ Jai Jai Shri Radhey! ~*~*~*~

~*~OM BABAJI ~*~

       The wonderful Om Babaji lived to be 110 yrs.old, (d. 1959), Santji told me, and he never ate anything!! He stayed in a small room on the upper 3rd floor on Naya Sarak, Chandni Chowk, or "moonlit market", one of the oldest and busiest markets in India! Every evening he walked to the Yamuna River and sat in Samadhi there til sunrise! Whenever I had the chance I would ask about him to Santji, or one of the few devotees who knew Om Babaji. They said he lived with nothing but a wooden bed with a brick for a pillow. There was a Havan kund that always had live coals glowing that he would stir up and on that fire make a little tea for any guest for which there was also a chair.
      Surgeon Rear Admiral MS Melhotra had told me that several times that he and his wife Satyaji had offered Om Babaji shawls which he happily accepted but that after a few days they would visit and again there would be nothing there, but Om Babaji smiling as before.
      Mrs.Shakuntla Bindra, who was the daughter of a dear friend of Sant Gulab Singhji's was introduced to Om Babaji  by him. She told me how kind and gentle Om Babaji was and that he always made tea for her whenever she came and would drink along with her. She said one such day they heard heavy footsteps coming up the stairs. Immediately Om Babaji shouted loudly in Urdu saying, "How dare you come up these stairs here,  Haramzade! Go away!" Then they heard the footsteps going back down the stairway.  She said she started trembling when Om babaji turned to her and softly said, "Don't be afraid, my child, you have done nothing wrong! This was not meant for you.  Sanvalashah (Krishna) is very happy with you."
     Once she was bringing someone to meet him at her usual time and she could not find his flat, with the great big "AUM" on the wall. She said that they went up and down the street several times, again and again, but couldn't find his building!  Finally they had to give up and left.  Days later when she met Om Babaji he smiled and said, "Yes, I know, I had hidden the building!"
   In Santjio's last years he had given this photo of Om Babaji and had many tiny copies made. Whenever someone came to him with a problem or a great desire Santji would give  them this small picture of Om Babaji, tell them to put it inside a locket where it could be seen and wear it always.  He said to pray everyday to Om Babaji and that everything would be alright. Great souls are indeed able to help others to have great faith in Gods blessings and even in miracles. And for those years to come, again and again the devotees returned with bright faces and gifts, they had wonderful stories to tell about the miracles of beloved Om Babaji.

        "Ye Noor Uska, Ye Zahoor Uska.  Agar Tu Na Dekhe, To Kasoor Kiska?"

¸.•°*♥ Rangeeli Holi! ¸.•°*♥

      Be drenched in the indelible color of the Beloved Sri Radha Krishna!

 ¸.•*""*•.¸जय श्री राधे! ¸.•*""*•.¸जय श्री राधे!
ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬ ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬ ஜ۩۞۩ஜ
श्री कृष्ण गोविन्द हरे मुरारी!  हे नाथ नारायण वासुदेव!
राधे राधे! ..... कृष्णा कृष्णा! ..... जय श्री राधे कृष्णा!
ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬ ஜ۩۞۩ஜ▬▬▬ ஜ۩۞۩ஜ
¸.•*""*•.¸जय श्री राधे! ¸.•*""*•.¸जय श्री राधे!

               ~ ღ☆¸.•°*♥ हरी ॐ *ღ☆¸.•°*♥

             ¸.•°*♥ Happy Days of Holi!¸.•°*♥

Vraj Holi is the Festival of Spring Colors in a Divine playful ecstasy of the Pure Bliss of the Love of Shri Shri Radha Krishna!!

 The Divine Couple Eternally Dance in an ecstatic mood of the ever bright Full-Moon of the Grace-filled Bliss of Vraj Holi!!

                                     ~*~ Jai Jai Shri Radha Krishna!~*~

In Union with the Beloved `*°○•.♡.•○°*`

There is nothing more bitter than separation. 

Without Your refuge there is only confusion.

Our possessions ambush our real wealth; 

our desires tear the garment of spirit from our souls.

Since the harm we do

devours the good we try to reach,

how can anyone save his soul

except with Your protection?

And even if we could protect our own souls,

we still cling to a storehouse of fears,

because the soul is forever distraught with itself,

if it's not in union with the Beloved. 

Rumi ~ Mathnawi   

*`°☆○•.Maha Shivaratri.•☆○°`*

      On this night one sits together or alone and  meditates, does puja,  turpana,  havan, listens to the stories (of saints, Rishis and gods); sing songs of God and dances! Any of these we do to stay awake all night at this most auspicious and powerful time of the Great Night of Shiva! 
          ~ In the Great Light of Shiva!
One may chant any of his mantras, specially this one:
             ;"Om Namah Shivaya!"~*~

The rest is left to the Grace of Lord Shiv,  who is the delight of the sadhaks that fix their gaze on That Divine Light of Light.
                        ~*~Om Namah Shivaya!~*~

Paramahansa Vishuddhanandaji's Teachings

Here are presented some of Param Babaji's Teachings and Instructions:

1. Perform the Kriya (religious commandment) given by the Guru regularly and implicitly according to his instructions and all shall be well. The grace of God is bound to descend on you in due time.

2. Give up self-praise and talking ill of others completely. These traits are very harmful. Never waste time in these.

3. When tragedies and ill-times overtake you, increase your mantra-japa, both in terms of time and number.

4. Never trust anybody in a hurry. Test him thoroughly first, else you will be duped.

5. Every bit and particle of this world is against your interest. You are your only friend and well-wisher. So depend on your own efforts and do not look up to others for help as they are likely to fail you in your times of need and distress.

6. During your Sadhana (spiritual endeavour) constancy and regularity in practice are of prime importance. Reading of scriptures is only dry intellectual gymnastics. Dramatised Bhakti is also not Bhakti in the real sense. True Jnan and real Bhakti are very prestigious and difficult-to-attain stages in spiritual advancement. These develop automatically one after the other, only after constant and regular austere spiritual practice over a long period.

7. To depend solely on the grace of God is not an act of wisdom. Grace is no doubt very sublime and is also being showered upon us by Mahashakti all the time. Without it there is no hope of our advancement towards salvation either. But this grace can only be attained through constant practice of Yogic Kriya which can lead to the attainment of even the unattainable.

8. Do not let anything ever worry you. ''I (your Guru) am always there with you.'' After performing your Kriya properly for some time, you will yourself realize the truth of my statement. I shall see that all your legitimate wishes are fulfilled and you are never in want.

9. To bring a mood of calm repose in the mind before you start your meditation first invite the following thought: ''The world was there before I was born and it will be there even after I am gone. So, nothing really depends on me, hence why should I be in a state of tension? It is only with calm consciousness that I can help myself and help others. The Divine remains calm despite all the turmoils in the world. It is the Divine spark in me, present as my soul, that sustains me. Let me concentrate on that. Let me get a few moments of leave from the demands of my body, from the desires of my life and from the restlessness of mind and enter into my soul - my true Self. Let peace and calm sustain me.''

10. I am aware of each and every thing that you do, so never try to deceive me by telling lies.

11. Electrical energy gets accumulated particularly in the fore-finger of the right hand, which should not therefore be used for rubbing teeth or pointing out the direction, else it leads to unneccessary waste of the accumulated electrical energy.

12. Spiritual progress depends upon the loftiness of character. Never hurt anybody's feelings. Keep your senses under control and follow the truth in body, mind and speech. Keep unswerving faith in the Guru and be patient, compassionate and forgiving.

13. Dear Son, all your happiness or suffering is a result of your earlier deeds. Do not add further to these. Give up doing bad and unholy deeds now at least, so that you do not create new sins, the consequences of which you will have to suffer in future.

14. You develop interest in the Kriya through constant practice, so much so that in due course of time you will not be able to give it up even if you will want to. In the beginning, you will have to force yourself to sit for your Kriya, but later you will start feeling greatly perturbed whenever you are not able to do so. The Guru can only advise you, explain to you and demonstrate the technique to you but the actual performance will have to be done by you and you alone. So, for your own benefit, get down to the practice of Kriya wholeheartedly and arduously; only talking will not help. Once you get firmly established in the practice of Kriya, you will not be able to leave it thereafter.

15. Through the practice of Kriya, keep meditating upon the 'Mother' in your heart all the time; the Mother who is the source of all Creation, directly perceptible. Mother who cannot otherwise be achieved even through Yoga and is superior even to 'Brahma' and is the reality behind the psychological manifestation of the Supreme Emotion. Instead of getting influenced by external emotions, always keep your mind in communion with the Mother. Once you are able to stay in that state, there is nothing further to be done.

16. While you are in the physical body, you cannot but be doing one thing or other. Then why not engage yourself in the pursuit of such an act as will absolve your all binding actions for all time. At the exact moments of sunrise and sunset, sit down for your Kriya daily without fail. Even if your mind is not steady, do not bother about it. Learn to depend solely on your Guru, then no demon will be able to do any harm to you � be certain about it.

17. My disciples will not be born again and thus will not have to undergo the sufferings in a mother's womb again. My elder Gurudeva Shri Bhriguramji Paramahansadeva has created an abode for them where they shall all reside, after their death in this world.

18. The first requirement for spiritual advancement is character which must be kept unblemished and next come light meals and less sleep. As you progress in your Kriya the last two come by themselves. Peace and tranquility is the natural outcome of spiritual practice.

19. You acquire riches and property as a result of your past actions. What is ordained in your destiny, that much you will certainly get. But even so it is not wise to sit back aboslutely inactive. You must make all efforts to procure them.

20. Every thing is within your very self. Only it has become overladen with dirt and filth as an outcome of undesirable tendencies and associations of previous lives. Once you are able to get rid of that covering, you will be able to see and recognize your real self. Just as you cannot see your face in a mirror covered with dirt and to do so you have to clean the mirror by rubbing, wiping and washing, so also once you keep rubbing off the dirt of the mind through the constant repetition of the Guru-given-mantra, the mind will become purified in due course and then you will be able to see your real self once again. The aforesaid 'rubbing, wiping and washing of the mind' is really the Yogabhyas Karma viz the incessant friction between the mantra and the mind through constant repetition of the former. Get up early in the morning at about 3.30 or 4.00 a.m. and try to do your Kriya upto sunrise for two to three hours at one stretch and so also in the evening, daily. In the evening start about half an hour before sunset and continue for an hour and a half beyond it. Besides this, make it a habit to mentally repeat the mantra at all other times also while you are working with your hands etc. in the course of your job. Do not waste your time on other useless things. Your japa should co-ordinate with the rhythm of exhalation and inhalation of breath called Ajapa Jap.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You Can Count On Me [Official Music Video] David Newman (Durga Das)

hari thum harO - darbaari kaanaDa - Adi

A Joyful Basant Panchami to all! *☆ Jai Jai Sri Radha Madhava!☆*

The Great Makar Sankranti!

Salutations and adoration to the Supreme Lord, the primordial power that divided the year into the four seasons. Salutations to Surya, the Sun God, who on this great day of Makar Sankranti embarks on his northward journey, the auspicious Uttarayana. All seekers of Truth, aspirants on the path of Yoga, devotees of God, lovers of mankind, all these pay tribute to the Supreme Father of energy, the vital force of creation itself. Thus we chant in the great Gaiyatri: 'Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya'!
 Lead us out of darkness into the Light!

'Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya'

'Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya'

 "The sun signifies knowledge, spiritual light and wisdom. Makar Sankranti signifies that we should turn away from the darkness of delusion in which we live, and begin to joyously let the light within us shine brighter and brighter. We should gradually begin to grow in purity, wisdom, and knowledge, even as the sun does from this day."

    ~ Swami Shivananda Saraswati

Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun into the zodiac sign of Makara rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path. The day is also believed to mark the arrival of Spring in India and is a enormous event, with many fold benefits to all devotees. 

May all of us be blessed throughout the year with the Grace of Divine Love, Compassion, Joy and Light. Om Shanti! Shanti! Shanti!!