Ma y 1, 2 009
V o lu me 1, Is s u e 4
Self Awakening
The purpose of this quarterly newsletter,
Self Awakening, is to inform Sadhaks
(seekers of self realization) about Maha
Yoga, a very simple, no cost and
effective method of self-realization.
P. P. Shri Narayan Kaka Maharaj of
Nashik, India is a leading teacher and
exponent of Maha Yoga, a centuries old
tradition, whereby a realized Guru
(Siddha Guru) awakens the Universal Life
Energy (Kundalini) within the Sadhak,
eventually leading him/her to selfrealization.
To the tens of thousands of Sadhaks in
the Maha Yoga tradition all over the
world, this e-newsletter is intended to
provide virtual Satsang. It is intended to
help keep Sadhaks engaged in Maha Yoga,
be informed about Maha Yoga-related
events around the world, and to provide
a forum for getting guidance about Maha
Yoga from P. P. Shri Kaka Maharaj.
Editor’s Note
Discussion with P. P. Kaka Maharaj
On February 14
th
, 2009 P. P. Kaka
Maharaj (Gurudev) sat with the editor
of this e-newsletter to have a wide
ranging discussion on his life
experiences, Maha Yoga, and advice
to Sadhaks. The following are edited
excerpts from the discussion. We are
presenting them here with the intent
that Gurudev’s life experiences and
insights into Maha Yoga will inspire
Sadhaks and others to diligently
pursue the Maha Yoga path.
Editor: Thank you very much for giving
me this opportunity to conduct this
interview for the e-newsletter. It will
be very helpful to the Sadhaks and
others who read the newsletter.
Should we get started?
Gurudev: Yes, let us begin.
Editor: How did you get interested in
Maha Yoga? What got you interested?
Contents
The success of this e-newsletter will
depend upon Sadhak participation
through their contributions of content.
Sadhaks are therefore encouraged to
contribute news about Maha Yogarelated events in their parts of the
world, thoughtful articles and life
experiences, and questions about Maha
Yoga and their Sadhan (practice) they
would like P. P. Shri Kaka Maharaj to
address. Please send any content or
questions you would like to submit to
self.awakening@gmail.com
Readers’ survey announcement: With
this fourth issue we have completed
the first year of our e-newsletter. To
continue to be interesting and
responsive we are asking our readers to
respond to a short survey. Please find
details of how you can participate in
the survey on page 20.
Gurudev: Ever since my childhood I
had a desire to become a Yogi. I
don’t know why, but I just wanted to
become a Yogi. This was fortified
and reinforced by some movies
(pictures) I saw when I was a child -
Sant Dhnyaneshwar, Tukaram
Maharaj and others. After seeing the
movies I would have a tendency to
chant “Vithal-Vithal” and even when
I sat somewhere I would think
“Vithal-Vithal”. I would also recite
Dhnyaneshwar’s sayings and verses.
Editor: What do you think made you
do that?
Gurudev: I don’t know what it was
inside me that caused me to do this,
but there was some kind of power
within me that led me to become
fond of this particular science. My
friends and other students were also
there, but I don’t know why only I
took an interest in Yoga, it is only
Ma ha Yog a - S implest , no c os t a nd hig he st me t hod of se lf - r ea liz a t ion
Contents
About the e-newsletter 1
Discussion with Kaka Maharaj 1
Article on Maha Yoga part 4 8
Churning of the Heart 10
Answers to questions 12
Introductory approach to
Maha Yoga 15
Rameshwaram visit 16
Upcoming events 20
Readers’ survey notice 20
What’s new 21
How to contribute content 21 known to Destiny (Prarabdha). So I don’t have an
answer as to why I took an interest in Yoga, it is beyond
my powers to give you an answer on that. I can only
attribute it to Destiny.
Editor: At some point later you met P. P. Swami
Loknath Tirth Maharaj. How did that come about?
Gurudev: That was at a much older age. My interest
in Yoga began when I was about 10 or 15 years old. I
also had a longing for singing and I even won prizes in
singing. I had a very good voice then and I could sing
quite well, so I used to always stand first in singing and
recitation. After my thread ceremony I began the
Gayatri Mantra japa and around the time of my
Matriculation I had developed a very keen interest in
Yoga. But I did not neglect my studies in school. I was
interested both in my studies and in Yoga.
Editor: What about your college days?
Gurudev: In my college days I had joined the RSS,
which led me to a very good part of my life. I was
made the head of a Parishad which had about 100,000
members. After Inter Science, I joined the Engineering
College, but I did not do well in my first year. I was
doing both Junior B.Sc. as well as FY Engineering and as
a result I did not do well in my studies that year. In
addition, since I was in the RSS and being a very good
RSS worker I was caught by the government and I was
put in jail. The RSS was doing Sangh Satyagraha, and in
my barracks 300 students, Sangh organizers and
Sadhaks were there. I was authorized to lead the
singing of the Bhagwad Geeta at events and during one
such event I was arrested. I was not given parole to
attend classes because I was one of the leaders of the
Satyagraha. I was in jail for 3 months.
Editor: That must have been very difficult for you?
Gurudev: Yes, I couldn’t attend the college lectures so
I had to study in jail. The government did give me
parole to appear for my exams, but that year I fell a
little short of getting the 45% marks that were required
to pass Junior B.Sc. I did not let that deter me and I
entered 2
nd
year Engineering and Senior B.Sc. the next
year while having to complete some of the work for my
Junior B.Sc. This eventually resulted in my completing
both my BE and my B.Sc. degrees in my final year of
Engineering and I received both degrees over a two
week period in 1952.
Editor: That must have been quite an achievement.
Gurudev: For my B.Sc. I majored in Mathematics
which had 8 papers including Astronomy and Analysis,
which I liked very much. So I could manage.
Discussion with P. P. Kaka Maharaj (continued)
Page 2 of 21
Editor: What did you do next?
Gurudev: Around that time the RSS was organizing
bicycle tours of various forts around Maharashtra such
as Sinhagad, Purandar, etc. So I went to 5 or 6 forts on
a bicycle.
Editor: You must have been in very good shape in
those years to do all that climbing on a bicycle.
Gurudev: Yes. I used to practice Yoga Asanas daily in
those days. I used to practice even Poorna
Matsendryasana, which, by the way, is a very difficult
Asana. I have lost my physical abilities now, but in
those days I was very slim so I could even do that
difficult Asana.
Around that time, in 1952, someone told me that if you
are so interested in Yoga, there is a Sage, a saintly
person, who has come to the area you might want to go
meet and salute. So I went to see the Sage and when I
got there I just bowed to him. The Sage was P. P.
Loknath Tirth Swami Maharaj. When I looked up from
having bowed to him, his first sentence in Hindi was,
“If you have feelings of respect for your Guru then you
should do a Sashtanga Dandavat (prostration with 8
points of the body touching the ground)”. So I did a
Sashtanga Dandavat and said, “Of course, you are my
Guru”. That led to my meeting with him everyday. In
those days I was mostly interested in practicing Yoga
Asanas.
Editor: Which town were you living in then? Where
was this going on?
Gurudev: Right here in Pune. Actually very near to
where we are now in Vasudev Niwas. At that time
when I would go to see P. P. Loknath Tirth Swami
Maharaj, P. P. Gulvani Maharaj used to also be around.
When I would do Yoga Asanas, he noticed that I was
also doing Poorna Matsendryasana, a very difficult
Asana.
Editor: Yes, P. P. Gulvani Maharaj was also very
interested in Yoga Asanas.
Gurudev: Yes, he had a great interest in Yoga Asanas
and he was very good at doing them. There are some
famous photographs of him doing very difficult Asanas.
When he saw me doing the Poorna Matsendryasana he
came to me and said in Marathi, “You do that Asana
very well and very beautifully”. This was around 1951,
when Shri Balasaheb Wakde was around. He was a
leader in the RSS and he would also encourage me in
my Yoga Asana practice. One day he said to me, “Why
are you just doing Asanas? You should ask Swamiji for
Deeksha”. I said to him, “What is this Deeksha?” So
Shri Balasaheb told me about Deeksha and I decided it
would be a good idea to ask Swamiji for Deeksha. So I
Self AwakeningSelf Awakening Page 3 of 21
Discussion with P. P. Kaka Maharaj (continued)
would be a good idea to ask Swamiji for Deeksha. So I
went to see Swamiji on a Thursday and asked him if it
might be possible for him to give me Deeksha. Swamiji
replied, “You are still a student and you have your
studies to deal with, Deeksha will not be appropriate at
this time”. I was quite disappointed to hear that. The
following Saturday when I went to see Swamiji he
announced to me, “Tomorrow you will get Deeksha”.
Editor: That must have been a pleasant surprise for
you.
Gurudev: Yes, also because the next day was the day
celebrating my Kula Dev (Family God), Jejuri cha
Khandoba (form of Shiva from the town of Jejuri); and
a Sunday, which happens to be the day of the week I
was born on. So I felt very fortunate.
Editor: Did Swamiji know about the importance of that
day to you?
Gurudev: No, nothing like that. He just decided that
it would be the day. One day he told me I was not
ready for Deeksha and two days later he announced
that he would give me Deeksha the next day! I had no
idea what went into Swamiji’s calculations. I was very
glad that he had decided to grant me Deeksha and the
next morning I went to see him to receive the Deeksha.
He put his hand on my head and the Deeksha started
right away. Following that I would go see Swamiji
every day and do Sadhan. He was a very loving person.
Not long after my Deeksha someone who was able to
converse with Swamiji very freely (unlike me, who was
in awe of him) asked him, “How come you gave
Narayan Deeksha only a few days after you had told
him that he wasn’t ready”. Swamiji replied, “After I
said no to him that day, I could not proceed with my
Sadhana. He and I are in some way indebted to each
other (Hrunanubandha), so Shakti (Mother Energy) has
told me that he should be given Deeksha”. I suppose it
was a matter of Destiny.
Editor: How was your relationship with Swamiji after
that?
Gurudev: It was very close. I used to see him
everyday while he was here in Pune. When he left
Pune to go to Varanasi I stayed in touch with him
through back and forth correspondence, right until his
departure from this world in February 1955. Swamiji
told me to always remember my Guru, so he is always
in my heart. Thanks to his blessings I have had a
successful career and a successful spiritual life.
Without his guidance and blessings none of this would
have been possible.
Editor: I understand that you were also very close to
my Gurudev, P. P. Gulvani Maharaj.
Gurudev: Following Swamiji’s departure in February
Gurudev: Following Swamiji’s departure in February
1955, I stayed in very close touch with P. P. Gulvani
Maharaj.
Editor: He was in a way your Gurubandhu (brother in
the Guru family), you and he having had Swamiji as
your common Guru.
Gurudev: Yes, he was my Gurubandhu, but he was
much more senior to me. I was in a way, a very, very
junior brother to him, the one with the lowest rank, so
to speak. When P. P. Gulvani Maharaj left this earth in
1974, I sought the guidance of P. P. Datta Maharaj
Kavishwar, who he had named as his successor. P. P.
Datta Maharaj took good care of me spiritually,
thinking perhaps that even though I might have
behaved at times like a mischievous child I had good
intentions. He guided me for 25 years, from 1974 till
his departure from this earth in 1999. In 1985 he
invited me to join the trust in Pune established by P. P.
Gulvani Maharaj. I had retired from my job in the
Maharashtra Government by then so I agreed.
Meanwhile I had also established the P. P. Loknath
Tirth Swami Maharaj Trust in Nashik, and I had begun
going to various places around Maharashtra and India to
spread the message of Maha Yoga and to give Deeksha
to Sadhaks who agreed to live by the standards
established by P. P. Gulvani Maharaj. After P. P. Datta
Maharaj Kavishwar’s departure from this earth in 1999,
I reluctantly agreed to assume the responsibility of
becoming the chief trustee of the Pune Ashram.
Editor: How have things gone since then?
Gurudev: Things have gone very well. We are
gradually spreading the Maha Yoga message, as you
know. We have given a large number of Deekshas and
people are having wonderful experiences in their
Sadhan. You might have heard of Dr. Vijay Bhatkar,
who is a famous Computer Scientist in India. He too
has received Deeksha. He came to see me some time
back, right here in Pune, and we got into talking about
atoms and physics. I told him that the science of Maha
Yoga is somewhat different from our knowledge of the
physical sciences at this time. Maha Yoga is very
simple. One need not analyze the approach; one just
has to experience it. It is very simple because one just
has to sit without doing anything to experience it. He
said, “Is that so?” I said, “Yes” and I asked him to sit
with his eyes closed. He did that, and within a short
time he just fell back in a trance. Following that I gave
him a date for his formal Deeksha, but the Deeksha
happened to him 8 days earlier. I said to him that
Shakti (Mother Energy) must have been in a hurry!
Many such situations happen all the time and I often
wonder how such things happen and what is causing
such a great flow of Energy. Self Awakening Page 4 of 21
A few years ago the Shankaracharya of Shirshi Math had
come to see me with his younger disciple. We
welcomed him to the Ashram, did his Pooja, etc. He
said he wanted to talk to me about something. I said
okay, I would be glad to listen to him. He said he
wanted me to give him Deeksha. I said to him, “How
can I do that. You are a Shankaracharya, so we see you
as Shri Datta Guru himself. So how can I give you
Deeksha? Why are you asking me to do such a thing? I
will not be able to give you Deeksha.” But then I told
him that he could sign the Deeksha request form letter
we have and I will put the letter in front of Swamiji’s
(P. P. Loknath Tirth Swami Maharaj’s) photograph and
then it is between Swamiji and him whether he
receives Deeksha or not. It is not in my hands. The
Shankaracharya did as I had suggested and lo and
behold, he received Deeksha! He being a follower of a
different Yoga Marg (tradition) got some very different
experiences. Be that as it may, two other
Shankaracharyas have also asked for and received
Deeksha since then.
Editor: So it seems Maha Yoga prachar (spreading the
Maha Yoga message) is going quite well.
Gurudev: Yes, it is going very well. We had decided
some time back to create 4 centers of Maha Yoga in 4
different locations in India – in the holy city of Kashi
(Varanasi); in Rameshwaram, where Swamiji had
directed us to do Maha Yoga prachar in Southern India;
in Pithapur in the state of Andhra Pradesh, a sacred
location for followers of Shri Datta Guru and the
birthplace of Shripad Shri Vallabha, one of the
incarnations of Shri Datta Guru; and finally in
Narsobachi Wadi (also referred to as Wadi), a place
sanctified by Shri Narsimha Saraswati (who is
considered to be the second incarnation of Shri Datta
Guru) and by Shri Vasudevanand Saraswati (P. P. Shri
Tembe Swami Maharaj). We intend to organize two
Saptahas (weeks of intense spiritual activities) at each
of these locations where Sadhaks and others can
participate in Maha Yoga related activities. We have
thus far conducted such Saptahas in Kashi, Pithapur and
as you are aware, we just returned from one such week
at Rameshwaram. And of course, we have been
organizing such events in Wadi since many years. This
Prachar is very consistent with P. P. Gulvani Maharaj’s
message in the only public speech he gave in 1957
when he urged everyone to practice Maha Yoga for the
uplift of India and for the entire world. It is also
consistent with P. P. Swami Narayan Tirth Dev
Maharaj’s blessings to P. P. Loknath Tirth Swami
Maharaj to spread the teachings and the practice of
Maha Yoga wherever he went. As you are aware, P. P.
Swami Narayan Tirth Dev Maharaj, who was P. P.
Swami Loknath Tirth Maharaj’s Guru’s Guru, was the
key Guru in our lineage who began the spread of Maha
Yoga in recent times during the late19
th
and early 20
th
century. So I feel that I am just carrying on this
tradition of Prachar passed down from P. P. Swami
Narayan Tirth Dev Maharaj to P. P. Swami Loknath Tirth
Maharaj down to P. P. Gulvani Maharaj down to me. I
had no idea I would become involved so much in Maha
Yoga Prachar. I had never thought of travelling so
much, not only in India but also abroad. I had never
imagined travelling to London and to some of the major
cities in the US for Maha Yoga Prachar, leave aside
going to the Middle East locations of Bahrain and
Kuwait.
Editor: What did you think of all the foreign locations
you visited?
Gurudev: It is thanks to all the Sadhaks in those places
who organized opportunities for people in those
locations to get some exposure to Maha Yoga that those
visits even became possible. As you know, not only did
we talk about Maha Yoga but also gave attendees an
opportunity to actually experience Maha Yoga
meditation. For example, at the September 11
th
, 2007
peace event that we participated in California, we
didn’t have much time to give a long lecture. So in
contrast to the other presenters who gave speeches,
we guided the attendees through a practical Maha Yoga
meditation. For that we received a great response
from the attendees and from the organizers who sent
us a glowing letter thanking us for actually giving
audience members a true feeling of peace instead of
just talking about it.
In Bahrain we were invited to give a talk at a beautiful
150 year old Krishna temple. The organizers had told
me that the attendees would be Krishna devotees who
were studying the Bhagwad Geeta. When I began the
talk I told the audience, “You all know how to recite
the Geeta, but today I am going to tell you how to
practice the teachings of the Geeta”. With that
introduction, and drawing upon the Sixth Chapter of
the Geeta which describes the essence of Maha Yoga, I
instructed the audience of about 150 to 200 people to
close their eyes and guided them through a 10 minute
Maha Yoga meditation. It had the same effect as we
have seen at all the other locations where we have
conducted such events, with the audience becoming
completely absorbed in the experience of meditation.
I had simply instructed them to relax their bodies,
observe their natural breathing, and observe what
happens. This way, audience members were able to
forget their bodies, attach their minds to their breath,
which is the physical representation of Prana Shakti, or
the Mother Energy, and in that process actually
experience the Prana Shakti which resides in all of us
and upon which our bodies and minds are so
Discussion with P. P. Kaka Maharaj (continued)Self Awakening Page 5 of 21
Discussion with P. P. Kaka Maharaj (continued)
and upon which our bodies and minds are so
dependent. It just shows that Maha Yoga is the
simplest, no cost and highest form of Yoga available to
all human beings around the world. So I feel with all
that travel we have sowed the seeds of Maha Yoga in
all these locations. I am sure the people there, who
have attended and experienced Maha Yoga meditation,
will one day reap the benefits.
Editor: That’s great. Now, I would like to hear you
talk a little bit about a common issue many Sadhaks
have, and that is how to integrate the practice of Maha
Yoga in their day-to-day lives of work, family, etc. You
had a very successful career as a Superintending Civil
Engineer with the Government of Maharashtra. How
did you prioritize your very important and interesting
work with the priorities of being a Maha Yoga Sadhak?
Gurudev: My priorities were always Maha Yoga and
Sadhan first, my career second. But that does not
mean I neglected my career. I always followed my
Maha Yoga requirements without having to compromise
my career. Let me give you some examples. I had to
travel quite a bit all around visiting the villages of
Maharashtra as well as going by airplane to New Delhi.
Often I would have executives from companies sit next
to me on airplanes and when we got to talking they
would be very surprised to know that I, a person
dressed in the traditional outfit of Topi (cap), coat and
Dhoti, was a Civil Engineer for the State of
Maharashtra. And not only that, but I was doing and
managing research on 53 different civil engineering
issues related to water and hydrology. In fact, I was
awarded Certificates of Recognition by the Maharashtra
Government for solving major problems, including the
development of a special low-cost grout to replace the
very expensive imported grout that was being used to
repair cracks in hydro dams. So I never let what some
would perceive as being important for my work
interfere with my needs of living a Sadhak’s life.
Since I was quite interested in research, in 1962 I was
asked by the Government to get my Master’s degree in
Civil Engineering, even though I had completed my B.E.
several years earlier in 1952. I went back to college,
this time to the University of Calcutta to get my Master
of Engineering in Public Health. So I was in Calcutta
for two years in 1962-63. During my stay in the hostel
there I realized that I would not be able to observe my
dietary restriction if I had to eat in the hostel’s dining
facilities. So I asked for permission to make other
dining arrangements for myself. The authorities
refused to grant me such permission. So instead of
eating my meals at the hostel, I would register my
attendance at the dining facility by eating a banana or
a fruit and then proceed to eat my main meal outside
the hostel where I had made some arrangements for
the hostel where I had made some arrangements for
cooking food that would meet my dietary restrictions.
I also would diligently sit for Sadhan over all these
years, regardless of my life circumstances. So Maha
Yoga has always had the highest priority in my life.
And I have always found ways to keep my priorities as a
Sadhak from being affected by any attachments to my
pursuing a career. My attachment has only been to the
practice of Maha Yoga. Sadhan is the key to making
progress on this path. Sadhaks should do Sadhan every
day. The Sadhan that happens to Sadhaks on this path
is beyond words.
Editor: Tell us more about Sadhan and Maha Yoga. I
am sure Sadhaks will be very interested in what you
have to say.
Gurudev: Okay, you know all about this, but in the
interest of documenting my thoughts on Maha Yoga I
will talk a little bit about it. As you know, our bodies
are not permanent, neither are our minds. But the
Prana Shakti (Mother Energy) which is present in all of
us is eternal. During the Tsunami a few years ago, tens
of thousands of people perished, but their Prana Shakti
did not go away, it remains permanent.
Maha Yoga is a way to connect our consciousness
directly to the Prana Shakti. Our bodies are alive only
as long as the Prana Shakti resides in them. As you
know, the mind is more important than the body. But
the mind, although it is subtle, is also not permanent.
Nor is it steady. Sometimes we have very high
thoughts, but sometimes our thoughts become very
base. So we should not take the mind as a standard.
What is the mind after all? It is nothing but a sequence
of thoughts. Sometimes there can be an interval
between two thoughts. But we still continue to live
during such intervals, we don’t die! In that interval
between thoughts, when there is no mind activity,
what keeps us alive? It is the presence of Prana Shakti
within us that keeps us alive and functioning. Maha
Yoga helps us to connect with the Prana Shakti which is
the permanent and eternal part of our existence.
When we sit relaxed and close our eyes with faith and
devotion, a subtle surge of Energy goes up along our
spine and resides in our brains. When that happens, for
an instant, we actually experience an interval between
our thoughts. That is what we call “Na-Mana” or “No
Mana (Mind)”. When our mind is active, all our senses
are functioning. When our mind is silent for an instant
we become unaware of our senses during that instant.
It is this experience during the interval between
thoughts that is the key to our understanding and
experiencing Maha Yoga. This can be practiced by
anyone, as you have seen happen during our lecture Self Awakening Page 6 of 21
Discussion with P. P. Kaka Maharaj (continued)
demonstrations.
People often ask the question, “How do we all come
into being on this world?” Each one of us is here on
this earth because of the desires of our parents.
Without such desires (Vasanas) on their part, none of us
would have been born. Vasanas, or desires, not only
bring us all into existence, but they continue to keep us
in this cycle of birth and rebirth. It is very important
to understand this concept, because it is our Vasanas
that bring about our impermanent world. It is the
objective of Maha Yoga to wipe out all the effects of
our Vasanas and to get us out of the cycle of birth and
rebirth. That is what regular Sadhan will do for
Sadhaks.
An important point about Maha Yoga is that Sadhan is
not to be “done” by the Sadhak. The Sadhak has to
just sit relaxed in order to eliminate his awareness of
his body. The Sadhak should also not use his mind to
concentrate or focus on anything, because our
objective is to get the mind disengaged. It is not the
Sadhak’s mind that can do the Sadhan, but it is the
Prana Shakti that does the Sadhan. So the Sadhak
should just sit relaxed and let go of any conscious
control over his body or mind and just let the Prana
Shakti do its course. The Sadhak should just observe
his breathing, and if any thoughts arise he should not
become engaged in them, but should just play the role
of observing his breathing, which is the physical
manifestation of the Prana Shakti. Hand over yourself,
i.e. your body and your mind, both, to the Prana Shakti
and let her do the Sadhan.
Editor: Thank you for that excellent summary of Maha
Yoga and Sadhan. I am sure Sadhaks will very much
appreciate the important points you have made. There
are a couple of other areas I want to get your insight
for our readers and others. The first is the issue of
whether or not you consider all who ask you for
Deeksha as being worthy of it, or do you have any
criteria for granting Deeksha to some and not to others.
Gurudev: No, I do not have any such criteria. If a
person has a desire to receive Deeksha I consider
him/her as deserving to receive it. For example, there
are many shops in a marketplace. Someone who has a
desire to buy a particular product will go to the shop
that sells it. Everyone in the marketplace will not go
to that particular shop. Only those who are interested
in what the shop is selling will go to check out the
products for sale in that shop. So my approach is that
whosoever desires to receive Deeksha has some basis
for having that desire, so he can have it. Our past
impressions, from this life and our past lives, lead to
the creation of our desires. So if a person has a desire
to receive Deeksha, to me it is an indication that the
to receive Deeksha, to me it is an indication that the
person has an interest in Maha Yoga because of his past
impressions, and is therefore worthy of receiving it.
There might be a group of friends who are wondering
about what to do in the evening. Some want to go to
one movie, others want to go to another movie, but
one feels an urge to go attend a lecture on spirituality!
Why is that? It is something within that person which
makes him want to go to the spirituality lecture and
not to one of the movies. We don’t know what
specifically is making that person want to attend the
lecture, but we do know that something is compelling
him to do so, even though his friends want to go to the
movies. I believe it is the Sadhan and the impressions
that the person has accumulated from his past births
that make him attracted to spirituality in the first
place. Eventually, regular Sadhan will eliminate all
impressions of this and previous lives and lead to a
desire-free state where one has no desires, material or
spiritual, eliminating the need for rebirth and leading
to the ultimate goal of Maha Yoga.
I will give you an example of one person who came to
see me. He said to me, “Why do you want everyone to
do Yoga? I have done all kinds of bad deeds and
committed all different kinds of sins. Why would you
want someone like me to get involved with Yoga?” I
told him, “I am not at all concerned about your
misdeeds and sins, or even interested in the good
deeds you might have done. If you have an interest in
Yoga I will be glad to talk to you. If not that is fine
too, you can leave”. He said, “Let me see”. That
comment of his, “Let me see” indicated to me that he
was already on the path. It showed that his wickedness
was immaterial and that the desire for spirituality was
developing. He did not even know this to be the case,
but to me he was on his way to becoming a Yogi. It
was his desire in the first place to come see me. No
one forced him to do that. He himself is the cause for
his moving in this direction. It was his desire that was
driving him. We want everyone on the face of this
Earth to have such desire!
Editor: That’s great, but what about Sadhaks who ask
for and receive Deeksha, but don’t sit for Sadhan?
Gurudev: It doesn’t matter! Once the Prana Shakti is
awakened it will not stop until it has eventually
cleansed the Sadhak of all his past impressions and
made him free of Vasanas. There was one Sadhak who
had received Deeksha several years ago and had good
experiences during Sadhan at that time. However, as
he grew up and got married and into the workaday life
he quit doing Sadhan for many years. One fine day he
remembered that he had come to see me many years Self Awakening Page 7 of 21
Discussion with P. P. Kaka Maharaj (continued)
ago and had received Deeksha, and before he knew it
he got into Sadhan, and Kriyas (or involuntary
movements and actions caused by the Prana Shakti)
began to happen to him. So the awakened Prana Shakti
will not quit until the Sadhak is cleansed of all Vasanas,
if not in this life then in the next one. This is why the
Introductory Approach we have developed is so
important. It will eventually lead all those who have
participated in it to achieve the benefits of Maha Yoga.
Of course, it will take time. It won’t happen overnight,
but happen it will. Once a Sadhak’s Prana Shakti is
awakened, even if the Sadhak does not sit for Sadhan,
Sadhan will be done by the power that has been
activated in him. The more a Sadhak lets the Prana
Shakti cleanse him through Sadhan, the faster his
progress, but regardless, eventually every Sadhak will
be cleansed of all his Vasanas.
Editor: That is indeed good news for all Sadhaks. I am
sure it will motivate us all to sit regularly for Sadhan. I
have a couple of questions about the process of how a
Guru gives Deeksha. First, what exactly does the Guru
do when he gives Deeksha to a person? And secondly,
why give Deeksha only twice a year?
Gurudev: Our approach to giving Deeksha is very
simple. We give Sankalpa Deeksha, i.e. we just wish
that the Deeksha be granted to those seeking it. Some
Gurus give Deeksha by sight, i.e. by looking at someone
desirous of receiving Deeksha. Others do it by giving a
mantra. Still others do it by touch. But behind all
these different methods, the Guru has to have the
Sankalpa, or wish, that the seeker receive Deeksha. So
Sankalpa is the key ingredient, not the look or the
mantra or the touch.
The reason we give Deeksha twice a year is somewhat
arbitrary, but there is some thought given to it as well.
We look for a couple of auspicious times during the
year somewhat evenly spaced with about a six month
gap between them. This results in some people having
to wait for even a few months before they get Deeksha,
but during that time they can always do the
Introductory Approach. The wait also gives them an
opportunity to think at length about their commitment
to receiving Deeksha. They can reflect on their
willingness to observe the restrictions that we ask them
to follow, and either accept them and go ahead with
the Deeksha, or simply continue following the
Introductory Approach. They can get mentally ready
during that time. When the Deeksha eventually
happens, some get interesting experiences, others do
not. But that’s okay. The Deeksha will eventually lead
each Sadhak through all the unique experiences and
Kriyas needed for his progress. The Guru Tatwa
(Guru’s Essence) will always be with him and will guide
him through his Sadhan and spiritual journey.
Editor: Thank you Gurudev for that wonderful
discussion. Do you have any closing remarks?
Gurudev: I just want to emphasize how easy and
useful our Maha Yoga approach is. People have all
different kinds of religions. Maha Yoga is beyond all
religions or creeds. It is based on our strong
conviction, that Prana Shakti, the physical
representation of which is the air we all breathe, is the
Mother Energy that supports us all. Just as the air we
breathe here in India is the same as the air people
breathe in the US, or for that matter, anywhere else in
the world, so is the Prana Shakti, the Mother Energy,
which supports us all. So we all have a common
mother, and that makes us all brothers. We have our
fights, but if we all realize that we are all children of
the same mother who is always with us, and actually
begin to experience it and see ourselves in that way
the world will become a better place. That is my only
wish.
I would like to thank Shri Gurudev from the bottom
of my heart for the wonderful opportunity to be in
his uplifting presence and to hear his inspiring words
during the discussion. I hope these excerpts help
readers to better understand Maha Yoga and inspire
them to be diligent in their Sadhana, and to make as
many people around the world as possible aware of
this incredible gift available to all of humanity.
Editor Self Awakening Page 8 of 21
Article on Maha Yoga – Part 4
In previous sections of the article on Maha Yoga,
which appeared in the first three issues of this
newsletter, we described what Maha Yoga is,
how to get started on this path and what
happens during Initiation (Deeksha). In this final
section, we discuss what one can expect to have
happen as one progresses on this path.
What will I Experience as a Maha Yogi?
Once a person is initiated into Maha/Siddha Yoga by a
Siddha Guru, he/she will begin a process of spiritual
purification which will eventually lead to Self
Realization. The initiate’s dormant Kundalini Shakti
will have been awakened by the Siddha Guru during the
initiation (Deeksha), and depending on the
accumulated impressions of his past deeds (his Karma)
and the diligence with which he practices meditation
(Sadhana) he will likely have amazing spiritual
experiences on his way to Self Realization.
Throughout this journey, although the Siddha Guru will
always be there for specific guidance, the initiate will
be guided automatically by his own awakened Kundalini
energy, especially during the conduct of his Sadhana.
Diligent practice of Sadhana will gradually result in the
opening and cleansing of the spiritual pathways needed
for the Kundalini to eventually find its way to the
spiritual center in the brain (Sahasrara Chakra)
resulting in the aspirant’s Awareness merging with the
Chaitanya, i.e. the aspirant achieving Self-Realization,
and eventually, liberation.
While no two initiates will have the same set of
spiritual experiences on the road to Self Realization,
most aspirants will go through four stages. While each
stage has unique characteristics that define it, the
transitions between consecutive stages are not distinct
or abrupt, with one stage gradually blending into the
next:
1) The Initial Stage (Arambha-avastha):
Arambha-avastha means the beginning state. In this
Initial Stage, the Kundalini energy begins her work with
physical movements and sensations, which an aspirant
will experience involuntarily during his Sadhana. These
might include Yogic Asanas (physical postures), Bandhas
(locking of limbs/abdomen to prevent the movement of
breath), Pranayam (breath-control/rhythmic
breathing), etc., which help to regularize flow of the
Universal Life Energy (Chaitanya/Prana) throughout the
body. Yogic Asanas will bring the needed steadiness to
the body while the Bandhas and Pranayam will bring on
a feeling of lightness in the body.
During this stage the initiate is also likely to experience
During this stage the initiate is also likely to
experience during Sadhana some of the characteristic
symptoms of the awakened Kundalini. These might
include, but not be limited to, these illustrative
experiences (kriyas):
a) Sensations of throbbing at the base of the
spine (Mooladhara chakra), the Universal Life
Energy (Prana) rising from the Mooladhara to
the cerebrum (Sahasrara) and movement of
Prana in different parts of the body, leading
to a feeling of ecstasy.
b) Posture becoming steady resulting in a loss of
body-awareness and an immersion into a
trance-like state.
c) Feeling that the Kundalini Shakti has taken
control of the body and is making the initiate
perform various Asanas, Bandhas and
Pranayams.
d) Seeing divine visions, hearing divine sounds,
experiencing divine tastes, touch, etc.
e) Sight getting attracted to the space between
the eyebrows during meditation, breathing
stops temporarily and it becomes difficult to
open one’s eyes, while feeling a sense of
bliss.
f) Body begins to shake as soon as the initiate
sits for meditation, followed by a sense of
happiness.
g) Feeling a sensation of intoxication (without
having taken any intoxicant) like being drunk
on Divinity.
Each aspirant’s experience during this stage will be
unique, and will depend to a large extent on his
Karma and the diligence with which he conducts his
Sadhana. There is a tendency at this initial stage for
aspirants to dwell on what experiences they are
receiving and which ones they aren’t, and being
concerned that they are not making appropriate
progress if they are not experiencing all the ones
they have read about or have heard their co-aspirants
talk about. This is a very counter-productive
exercise because it is not at all necessary for an
initiate to get all or any of the experiences stated
above. These experiences are not ends in themselves
but are only the means to achieve the specific type
of spiritual purification needed by each aspirant at
this stage. So the initiate will only experience those
activities/feelings/sensations that are uniquely
essential to his spiritual progress. Focusing on the
experiences themselves will only lead to enhancing
one’s ego or to an unnecessary feeling of despair,
both of which will detract from making further
spiritual progress. It is important at this stage to be
aware of what one is experiencing, enjoy those Self Awakening Page 9 of 21
experiences that are pleasant or blissful, but not dwell
too much on the experiences per se. Rest assured that
if the aspirant (Sadhak) is diligent in conducting his
Sadhana regularly, the awakened Kundalini Shakti will
also be doing its job of spiritual purification with great
diligence. When the Universal Life Energy
(Prana/Chaitanya) moves freely and regularly
throughout the Sadhak’s body and he begins to feel its
divine presence in him, the Kundalini Shakti will have
helped him achieve the results of the Arambhaavastha.
2) The Second Stage (Ghata-avastha):
In this second stage, which usually overlaps with the
first, the aspirant gradually begins to lose interest in
material desires and begins to develop a sense of
detachment from worldly attractions. This does not
mean that he has to, or will, give up on all things
material. He may continue to live in the material
world, if he so chooses, but he will begin to develop a
sense of non-attachment to material things.
As his sense of non-attachment to the material world
begins to develop, the aspirant will gradually find
himself becoming more and more immersed in the
Universal Life Energy (Prana/Chaitanya). He will begin
to observe Prana/Chaitanya in everything he sees with
his eyes. He will feel Prana/Chaitanya in everything he
touches with his skin. He will get a whiff of
Prana/Chaitanya in everything he smells with his nose.
He will sense Prana/Chaitanya in everything he tastes
with his tongue. And he will hear the sound of
Prana/Chaitanya in everything he hears with his ears.
In other words, he will begin to sense the entire
material universe as manifestations of
Prana/Chaitanya. While the First Stage results in the
aspirant feeling Prana/Chaitanya within himself, the
Second Stage leads the aspirant to sense
Prana/Chaitanya in everything. It is at this stage that
he truly experiences the all-pervading universality of
Prana/Chaitanya.
It is important for the aspirant to continue to practice
meditation (Sadhana) during the Second Stage. As the
first two stages overlap to some extent, the aspirant
may continue to experience during Sadhana some of
the kriyas described in the First Stage. However, by
this time, many of the physical experiences will have
been attenuated/diminished and the aspirant will find
himself sensing Prana/Chaitanya within and outside
himself, not just during Sadhana but at all times. The
spiritual path for the Kundalini Shakti to find its way
toward the spiritual center in the brain (Sahasrara
Chakra) will have been opened and cleansed, and as a
result it will be able to move freely along this path.
This will result in the aspirant gaining control over the
flow of Prana within himself and achieving a certain
stability of mind.
3) The Third Stage (Parichaya-avastha):
Having opened and cleansed the spiritual pathways
during the Second Stage for the Kundalini energy to
move freely within the aspirant, during the Third Stage
the Kundalini Shakti moves to his Sahasrara Chakra
(spiritual center in the brain) and merges with it. This
results in the aspirant’s Awareness merging with the
Chaitanya, or the Universal Life Energy, and the
aspirant begins to achieve complete serenity of mind.
His perspective of the universe changes to where he
constantly sees the universe as nothing but a
manifestation of Prana/Chaitanya. He sees that
oneness in everyone and everything.
At this stage not only does the aspirant experience the
universality of Prana/Chaitanya but he is also able to
begin to exert control over it. He develops an ability
to exhaust all the accumulated Karma of his previous
lives without having the necessity to be reborn again
and again. As a result he reaches the status of Siddha
which enables him to gain extraordinary powers
including the ability to awaken the dormant Kundalini
Shakti in others. He achieves his goal of SelfRealization, and having done so, can choose to
continue to live in this world as long as he desires or to
liberate himself from it at will. He is no longer an
“aspirant” but is now a true “yogi”. Some yogis choose
to dwell in this state for extended periods with the goal
of helping others achieve Self-Realization. Others
move on to the next stage of Liberation.
4) The Fourth Stage (Nishpatti-avastha):
This is the final stage, where the yogi, having achieved
Self-Realization liberates himself from the cycle of
birth and death. He achieves a state of bliss (Samadhi)
where he is completely beyond the physical confines of
this universe. He feels neither hunger nor thirst, nor
heat nor cold. His Awareness no longer dwells in the
material, but constantly resides in Prana/Chaitanya.
When he chooses to depart from his body he does not
need to be reborn and his Spirit/Awareness stays
merged with the Chaitanya forever.
Article on Maha Yoga – Part 4 Self Awakening Page 10 of 21
Churning of the Heart - Excerpt
With the previous issue of the e-newsletter we
began presenting to readers excerpts from P. P.
Swami Shivom Tirth Maharaj’s trilogy, “Churning
of the Heart”. P. P. Swami Shivom Tirth
Maharaj was from the same Shaktipat lineage as
P. P. Shri Kaka Maharaj, a lineage which can be
traced in recent times to P. P. Swami Gangadhar
Tirth Maharaj who lived in the second half of
the 19
th
century. In these excerpts, P. P. Swami
Shivom Tirth Maharaj describes his experiences
and interactions with his Guru, P. P. Swami
Vishnu Tirth Maharaj, who he refers to as
Maharajshri. These excerpts are published here
with the kind permission of Swami Shivom Tirth
Ashram, Inc. For those Sadhaks who are
interested, copies of the trilogy are available at
Amazon.com
Surrender to Kriya-Shakti
I don’t know why, but my mind was sad today. I was in
no mood to talk to anyone or to listen to anyone. All I
wanted to do was pull the blanket over my head and
remain in bed. However, I was helpless; there was a
lot of ashram work. Somehow I completed my chores.
When I was finished, I went to Maharajshri to pay my
respects. My face was drawn. Maharajshri asked,
“What is it? You are looking very sad today.”
I replied, “Even I don’t know the reason, but my mind
is very sad.”
Maharajshri asked, “Did anyone say anything to you or
are you missing your home?”
I replied, “Neither is the case.”
During the morning walk Maharajshri again mentioned
the incident. “Sometimes we do not see the reason but
our mind is very pleased. Sometimes we become sad
without cause. The reason for this is not in the outside
world, it is inside the chitta. In fact, the world that
diverts the mind is only within the chitta, which may
be regarded as a reservoir of accumulated impressions.
These accumulated impressions make up the state of
the chitta. It is fine to say that an incident in the
world influences the mind, but the root cause of the
incident is our accumulated impressions. These
impressions inside the chitta, while changing their own
state, change the state of the chitta at the same time.
When impressions of joy are awakened and exalted,
they give rise to tendencies and bring them to the
surface. As a result the mind is filled with happiness
for no apparent reason. Contrary to this, when
impressions of sadness arise one feels sad but is
unaware of the reason”.
“Your condition may be somewhat similar to this. People
in general pass through this state, but it occurs more often
among aspirants of Shaktipat as the Kriya-Shakti brings
accumulated impressions to the surface. Sometimes one
gets angry at minor things. Sometimes foul and vulgar
thoughts arise. Sometimes a feeling of forgiveness comes,
and at times pride increases greatly. An aspirant has to
bear all this with a calm chitta. It is not the case that
these kriyas of Shaktipat happen only during sadhan. The
Kriya-Shakti is always active. Kriyas during sadhan are
clearly manifest, whereas at other times they are not.
Even during social interactions, when the attention of the
aspirant is not on his sadhan, the kriyas continue internally.
Under such circumstances, it is not surprising when sadness
arises in a kriya, affects the mind and is expressed in the
face.”
I said, “Even when kriyas happen in this fashion, are
samskaras still destroyed?”
Maharajshri said, “Destruction of samskaras is not due to
kriyas. The job of a kriya is to bring the samskaras to the
surface and exalt them. It depends on how you react to
this exalted samskar. If you are provoked, there is no
destruction of samskaras. They gain more strength. If you
bear it with tolerance without getting provoked or angry,
then the samskar will show its strength and become
feeble.”
Then I asked, “When a samskar arises, if our reaction is in
our own hands, then what is the meaning of surrender?”
Maharajshri answered, “You have asked a very good
question. It is a matter of understanding. When the
samskar is exalted, the Kriya-Shakti does not motivate our
reaction, the samskaras do. Acting according to the
motivation of the samskaras can never be called surrender
to the Kriya-Shakti. Some people say, incorrectly, that
they have acted according to the orders of the KriyaShakti. They do not acknowledge that the Kriya-Shakti
exalted the samskaras but that they acted under the
influence of those samskaras. This is a very important
matter and must be understood. A normal aspirant forgets
this and under the name of Kriya-Shakti ends up
surrendering to his samskaras. Thinking about surrender in
a chronological manner will clarify the matter.”
“After awakening, the goal of Kriya-Shakti and
the sense of surrender towards it should always
be maintained. Kriya-Shakti is divine power, allknowing and beneficial. Every kriya of Kriya-Shakti
is in the interest of the being. Thus it is in the
interest of a living being that more and more of his
kriyas are manifest. The more resolutions a being
makes, the more the kriya of the Kriya-Shakti
becomes subject to the control of those
resolutions. The meaning of kriya is independent
movement based on Samskaras. One must surrender to the independent power of KriyaShakti by leaving all kinds of resolutions and
efforts aside. A being is bound by hopes and
desires and is incapable of considering benefit
and loss. So why not surrender to that Shakti,
which is always beneficial? Even if one
surrenders to someone in the world, one should
experience the Shakti in that.”
“If there is welfare in the kriyas of the
Shakti, then why not let them happen with
uninterrupted immediacy? Mental resolve is
an obstacle in a kriya. When a kriya comes
under the influence of resolve, it is reduced to
a karma and an impression is accumulated.
Thus the mind should not be allowed to hinder
the kriya. In other words, one should not
interfere in kriyas. As the Shakti is allknowing, it is aware of everything and knows
when and which kriya you require. All
decisions about kriyas should be left to the
Shakti and one must surrender to it.”
“Kriya-Shakti brings both types of samskaras –
sanchit [accumulated] and prarabdha
[ripened] – to the surface. The force of the
sanchit samskaras is within the chitta. If an
aspirant is influenced by that force, his
behavior in the world is affected and he
accumulates new samskaras. If he endures the
force and does not allow his chitta to be
influenced, then the samskar to which the
force belongs becomes feeble. Now remains
the issue of prarabdha. When the Shakti brings
it to the surface, joy and sorrow are expressed
externally as well as internally. Though this
joy and sorrow are definitely expressed by
Shakti, prarabdha is their cause. There is no
other solution but to endure the fruit that has
ripened. An aspirant’s surrender is towards the
Kriya-Shakti and not towards prarabdha. His
reaction, on the other hand, is not toward the
Shakti. It is towards prarabdha. An aspirant
can have only one reaction towards his
prarabdha, and that is to endure its effects
with a calm chitta. The surrender towards the
Shakti does not interfere in this. Even if one
listens to the Kriya-Shakti, just as sadhan
without the mind being affected is one’s duty,
in the same way enduring the fruits of
prarabdha without the mind being affected is
also one’s duty. It is sadhan. It is surrender
towards the Shakti. It is the quality of KriyaShakti that in spite of coming in contact with
your samskaras, it remains unaffected by them.
You, too, have to absorb this quality of the
Churning of the Heart – Excerpt (continued)
Self Awakening Page 11 of 21
Kriya-Shakti. Only then can your sense of
individuality come to an end. The means to
incorporate this quality in you is internal and
external surrender towards Shakti.”
Presented here with kind permission from Swami
Shivom Tirth Ashram, Inc.
“Churning of the Heart” trilogy by P. P. Swami Shivom
Tirth Maharaj is available from Amazon.com, or in India
from:
Devatma Shakti Society
92-93, Navali Gav
Post Dahisar, via Mumbra
Thane 400612
Tel. No.: 22-65148183 Self Awakening Page 12 of 21
Answers to questions of Sadhaks
Question: I have been practicing Kundalini Yoga,
as taught by Yogi Bhajan, and participating in
White Tantric Yoga on Winter Solstice. Do I have to
give up my old yoga path if I decide to follow Maha
Yoga? Should I be concerned that there is no Maha
Yoga center in the town in the US where I live?
Answer: If you are a follower of a particular Yoga
path or a practitioner of a particular approach to
Sadhana, following the Introductory Approach to
Maha Yoga (see page 15) will not create any
problems or obstructions on your chosen path. In
fact, doing so will further activate and accelerate
your progress on your chosen path. Mahayoga
is a study of Prana, which is the underlying
Universal Mother Energy which supports and
enhances all worldly and spiritual activities
of an individual. Therefore, the study of Maha
Yoga will only serve to increase the intensity
of whatever other Sadhana or Yoga path you are
following.
However, if you want to get initiated into Maha
Yoga, but have already been initiated into another
spiritual Yoga path by a Guru/Master, as an ethical
and spiritual norm of Yoga, you must ask for
permission from your current Guru (if he/she is
alive) prior to getting initiated into the path
of Maha Yoga. This rule exists to confirm the
acceptance by Sadhaks of the spiritual superiority
of one’s Guru, regardless of the specific
Yoga/spiritual path one is currently pursuing.
If your current Guru/Master is not alive, you may
look into your consciousness to decide on the
matter. Of course, as mentioned above, one
may practice the introductory path to Maha Yoga,
without getting formally initiated into it.
Maha Yoga encompasses all forms of Yoga,
including Kundalini Yoga as described in Yoga
scriptures. All Sadhaks need to do after formal
initiation into Maha Yoga is to regularly sit for
Sadhana and surrender to the activated Mother
Energy. They are not to do anything specific.
Whatever forms of Yoga a Sadhak needs will
automatically happen to the Sadhak as Kriyas
(physical and spiritual activities) during Sadhana.
The Sadhak’s only active role is to just observe
what happens. We are not very familiar with the
“Kundalini Yoga” path taught by Yogi Bhajan, so we
are not in any position to comment on it. All we
can tell you is that Maha Yoga is very simple and
depending on the Sadhak’s spiritual situation and
his/her diligence in its practice, will lead to
spiritual progress at an unmatched rate. Please
refer to our website www.mahayoga.org for
further details about Maha Yoga.
We do not have a Maha Yoga center in your
area at this time. However, the initiation and
practice of Maha Yoga does not require you to
be in the physical presence of the Guru.
Initiation can happen anywhere in the world, in
the privacy of your own home, and once
initiated you can practice Sadhana at home as
well. We have an active community of Sadhaks
in the US and around the world as well as an enewsletter. You can also stay in contact by email or by phone. The next initiation day is on
September 20
th
, 2009. Please visit the website
for details.
Question: Is it permissible for an initiated
person to cook and serve food prepared with
onion and garlic to other members of the
family/ friends/ relations, etc. who are not
initiated into Shaktipat? (Of course, the
initiated person does not eat onion and garlic).
Answer: Restriction on eating onions, garlic
and non-vegetarian food apply only to Sadhaks
(initiates). As members of families and
members of society, Sadhaks will of course
have ongoing interactions with others who are
not initiated into Maha Yoga. So there are no
restrictions on Sadhaks cooking and serving
food containing onion, garlic and/or nonvegetarian ingredients to others who have not
been initiated.
Question: I want to get Siddhi powers. What
would be your advice on how I could get Siddhi
powers?
Answer: In India there are a lot of learned
people who are experts in Tantra Vidya and the
Shastras who can advise you on how to achieve
Siddhis through great discipline, will power and
the observance of rules. There are books on
this topic, including some written by non-Indian
authors such as Paul Brunton and others who
describe hundreds of Siddhis, etc. You can
pursue those sources if you wish.
Our approach to Maha Yoga and Siddha Yoga is
not focused on such objectives at all. Adi
Shankaracharya, in his famous treatise, “Vivek
Chudamani” says that true seekers and others
deserving of Atma Vidya (Spirituality) have a
strong conviction and confirmation that only
the Atma (Spirit/Pranashakti/Chaitanya) is the Self Awakening
Page 4 of 10
Self Awakening Page 13 of 21
Answers to questions of Sadhaks (continued)
ultimate and permanent truth, and that worldly
matters are Anatma (Avidya) and are therefore
impermanent, just a mirage and therefore, not
relevant to true seekers. Hence the question of how
to seek Siddhi powers just does not arise for those
following the path of Maha Yoga. Those who want to
achieve Siddhi powers should lead a worldly life of
Anatma and Avidya and satisfy whatever desires they
have, and only then think about entering the field of
Maha Yoga which is based on Atma Vidya.
Of course, Patanjali Yoga Sutras and other literature
refer to the achievement of Siddhis as an automatic
byproduct of the practice of Yoga. However, true
Sadhaks should ignore these powers and never use
them for achieving worldly desires. Such Siddhis are
traps that keep a Sadhak attached to Anatma/Avidya
and to one’s ego. They are to be avoided if one
wants to make spiritual progress. Getting attached
to them always leads to one’s spiritual downfall.
Question: Since receiving Deeksha recently I have
been doing Sadhana daily and have devotedly
followed all restraints and rules. However, I have
not yet had any feeling of rising currents of energy or
other such extra-ordinary experiences. I know you
will think I am being too impatient, but I was
wondering how long it would take for such feelings
and experiences to begin. I request your constant
blessing and prayer to Mother Kundalini to give me
speedy progress in my spiritual journey.
Answer: Experiences during Sadhana will vary from
Sadhak to Sadhak depending on the individual’s
accumulated Samskars from this and previous lives.
A Sadhak should sit for Sadhana without any
expectations of specific or general experiences or
Kriyas. Having such expectations will, in fact,
obstruct the free flow of Prana (energy) and retard
progress. One must be patient and be thankful to the
Gurudev who has bestowed the gift of Shaktipat
Deeksha out of compassion, without any
consideration of whether the seeker is deserving of
the Deeksha or not. As you allow the Shakti to do her
work by surrendering to her completely and without
judgment, you will gradually begin to see progress.
Question: If humans are Mukta (free) to begin
with, then why do they become Baddha (bound)?
Why should we try to become Mukta given our
Baddha state?
Answer: Humans are Mukta (free) to begin with, as
you say, but over multiple lifetimes we develop
worldly and material attachments and aversions. It
is these accumulated attachments and aversions
that make us feel bound to the material world,
define our egos and create the separateness we
feel from others. This does not mean that we are
actually bound in any real way to the material
world, but without ever having experienced a true
state of Mukti (freedom), we come to believe that
our material experiences are all real and are all
that matter, and that the material world is all
there is. This is when we become virtually Baddha
(bound). This does not mean that we are actually
Baddha; each of us is equally free to realize at any
instant that that we are truly Mukta.
Those of us who feel that we are in a Baddha state
of course have a choice to remain feeling as if we
are in that state, or figure out ways to realize that
we are in fact Mukta (free). Most human beings
have never even been exposed to concepts such as
Mukta and Baddha, and many of those who have
been exposed to these concepts have such strong
worldly attachments and aversions that they choose
to continue to remain in the virtual Baddha state.
And it is perfectly alright if that is their choice.
But, for those of us who want to come out from
under this delusion of being in a Baddha state and
wish to realize and actually experience that we
are truly Mukta, Maha Yoga is a very easy and
effective way to get there. It is not something to
be achieved through external efforts on the
Sadhak’s part but it is a realization that will come
from within. Once a Sadhak experiences his true
Mukta nature within himself, worldly attachments
and aversions gradually disappear and the veil of
Baddha (feeling bound) parts to reveal his true
Mukta nature. Self Awakening Page 14 of 21
Answers to questions of Sadhaks (continued)
Question: Is it very beneficial to do Sadhana at
Brahma Muhurta (about one and a half hours
before sunrise, for example beginning at around
5:00 am if the sunrise is at 6:30 am)?
Answer: Sitting for Sadhana at any workable
time, based on a Sadhak’s choice, is fine. But of
course, one should not sit for Sadhana within four
hours after a meal. Brahma Muhurta is a
particularly auspicious and favorable time to sit
for Sadhana. At that time, having just woken
from sleep, our bodies are well-rested and fresh,
and we have been removed for several hours
from our day-to-day worldly affairs. This makes
it somewhat easier for our minds to become calm
and enables us to get into a meditative state
somewhat quicker. But, any workable time,
other than within four hours after a meal, is fine.
Incidentally, we should never “do” Sadhana. We
should just “sit” for Sadhan/Sadhana and let the
Prana Shakti (Mother Energy) do what it needs to
do. Our role during Sadhana is to just sit and to
observe.
Question: Will Naam Japa (chanting of the name
of God) help me meet my Aaradhya Daivat
(favorite form of God)?
Answer: Naam Japa of Aaradhya Daivat or any
Japa (chanting) is helpful in calming ones mind.
Any Japa without any specific Pranav (Aum) can
be performed anywhere and at any time.
However, Japa of specific Mantras, or those with
Pranav in them, should not be done at any
random place without following the purification
norms specified. For example, “Digambara,
Digambara Shripad Vallabha Digambara” or “Hare
Ram, Hare Ram, Ram Ram, Hare Hare” can be
chanted anywhere because these Mantras do not
include the Pranav sound. It is important to
remember here also that when sitting for
Sadhana, Sadhaks should never “do” Naam Japa
or anything else. If Naam Japa “happens”
automatically during Sadhana, that’s fine, but
please refrain from being the “doer” during
Sadhana. Self Awakening Page 15 of 21
Introductory approach to Maha Yoga
For those readers interested in Maha Yoga, but for whatever reason are not yet desirous of getting formally
initiated (Deeksha), P. P. Kaka Maharaj has recommended an introductory approach (precursor) to
experience the benefits of Maha Yoga. This approach can be performed by anyone desirous of getting a taste
for what Maha Yoga can help them achieve without making the commitments needed for a formal initiation.
It is as follows:
• Sit comfortably, preferably on a padded/carpeted floor or yoga-mat, with your eyes closed
• Feel a subtle surge of energy (Prana) rise up from the base of your spine and move upward toward
your head
• Keep the body completely relaxed
• Breathe normally and keep the mind engaged in observing your normal involuntary breathing
• Think that you are not the body but only the pure air which is the gross manifestation of Prana
(Universal Life Energy)
• Let your body be relaxed and free to do whatever happens, just observe your normal involuntary
breathing
• Try this daily for 3 to 18 minutes or longer. Do not open your eyes unless you feel a strong urge to do
so.
Diligent daily practice of this approach, even without getting formally initiated, will lead to a diminishing of
the normal clutter in one’s brain, providing the practitioner glimpses of Chaitanya (Universal Life Energy).
This is the preliminary stage of the path leading to supreme bliss. Self Awakening Page 16 of 21
Visit to Rameshwaram in Southern India, February 2009
P. P. Loknath Tirth Swami Maharaj was P. P. Kaka
Maharaj’s Guru and was the one who gave Shaktipat
Deeksha (initiation) to P. P. Kaka Maharaj. P. P.
Loknath Tirth Swami Maharaj’s Punyatithi (anniversary
of his departure) was celebrated this year on February
12
th
at the holy city of Rameshwaram in Southern India.
Over a thousand enthusiastic Sadhaks from all over
India participated in various uplifting events held in
Rameshwaram over two days on February 11
th
and the
12
th
.
View from Rameshwaram
P. P. Kaka Maharaj presided over the festivities during
the two days and used the occasion to establish a
major Maha Yoga center in Rameshwaram under the
leadership of P. P. Shri Vitthalrao Barve Maharaj to
serve the needs of Sadhaks in Southern India. Similar
Maha Yoga centers have been established over the
years in Varanasi (North India), Pithapur (South East
India) and Hoshangabad (Central India) on the
occasions of previous Punyatithis of P. P. Loknath Tirth
Swami Maharaj. With the presence of the two big
Ashrams in Nashik and Pune in Maharashtra (Western
India) and various smaller Maha Yoga centers in other
parts of India, the establishment of the new center in
Rameshwaram is expected to provide more uniform
coverage of Maha Yoga all over India.
Rameshwaram is a particularly holy site, second
perhaps only to Varanasi (Kashi) in terms of its
importance to those desirous of achieving salvation. It
is also one of the 12 Jyotirlingam sites revered by Yogis
and other devotees. It is located on an island between
the rest of India and Sri Lanka, and is considered to be
the location from which Lord Rama’s army of devoted
monkeys built the bridge to Sri Lanka in their campaign
to rescue Lord Rama’s wife, Sita, from Ravana the ruler
of Sri Lanka who had kidnapped her. The remnants of a
land bridge are still evident from satellite images of the
area. Rameshwaram is also considered to be blessed by
Lord Rama and is therefore an auspicious and holy
location.
Kaka Maharaj leading the Shobha Yatra
Shobha Yatra procession Self Awakening Page 17 of 21
Visit to Rameshwaram, February 2009 (continued)
The events at Rameshwaram over the two days were
designed not only to educate Sadhaks on Maha Yoga but
also to enable them to actually experience the bliss of
coming in contact with the Chaitanya Shakti (Universal
Life Energy). The events included a huge procession
(Shobha Yatra) of Sadhaks led by P. P. Kaka Maharaj,
visits to various holy sites and temples within
Rameshwaram, discourses on various Maha Yoga related
topics and of course, communal Sadhana (sitting for
meditation). Most of the events were experiential and
hence did not need any translation/interpretation into
Tamil for the local community, but when such
interpretation was needed, P. P. Vitthalrao Barve
Maharaj gave discourses on Maha Yoga in Tamil.
Shobha Yatra procession
February 12
th
, the day of P. P. Loknath Tirth Swami
Maharaj’s Punyatithi, was a very special day. It began
with the recitation of the Bhagwad Geeta and various
discourses on Maha Yoga. This was followed by Tirth Raj,
when P. P. Kaka Maharaj invoked the spirit of his Guru,
P. P. Loknath Tirth Swami Maharaj, to bless the event and
those gathered. Then came Mantrajagar (Awakening of
Vedic Mantras) and Maha Prasad (offering of food to God
followed by communal lunch).
Kaka Maharaj giving a discourse
Sadhaks listening to discourse Self Awakening Page 18 of 21
In addition to celebrating the Punyatithi of P. P.
Loknath Tirth Maharaj and the launching of the
Rameshwaram Maha Yoga center, the two day
gathering served to increase the awareness across
South India of Maha Yoga as an easily accessible and no
cost approach to achieving Yogic Bliss. It also enabled
Sadhaks already initiated into Maha Yoga to be in the
uplifting presence of P. P. Kaka Maharaj, to get an
opportunity to learn from him the teachings of the
Maha Yoga path and to actually experience the
presence of Chaitanya Shakti during Sadhana.
Kaka Maharaj with the Tirth Raj
Kaka Maharaj receiving blessings from Rameshwaram
Brahmins during Mantrajagar
Sadhaks listening to discourse
Kaka Maharaj doing Tirth Raj Poojan
The evening events began with Aarti (worship), followed
by Palkhi - the carrying of the photograph representing
P. P. Loknath Tirth Swami Maharaj in procession to
symbolize ones surrender to the Guru Tatwa (Guru
Principle) – and ended with the singing of Bhakti Geet
(devotional compositions).
Visit to Rameshwaram, February 2009 (continued) Self Awakening Page 19 of 21
Kaka Maharaj giving his discourse on February 12
th
While P. P. Kaka Maharaj does not believe in
proselytizing about Maha Yoga, he wants to make sure
that as many people as possible all over the world are
aware of Maha Yoga, leaving it up to them to practice it
or not. In his open discourses during the two days he
urged Sadhaks to take the message and the experience
of Maha Yoga to as many people as possible so they may
avail themselves of the opportunity to actually
experience Yogic Bliss. He referred to this effort of
spreading the message as “Loknath Path” or “Path of
the Lord of the People”. He would like to see the
increased awareness of Maha Yoga bring about a sense
of Universal Peace and Brotherhood throughout the
world, especially in these trying times, as all those who
get exposed to Maha Yoga realize experientially that
they are all children of the same Mother – Chaitanya
Shakti or Mother Energy - who we all depend upon,
physically and spiritually.
Nikhil Prabhune
Visit to Rameshwaram, February 2009 (continued)
Carrying of the Palkhi
Carrying of the Palkhi Self Awakening Page 17 of 18
Upcoming Events:
P.P. Shri Loknath Tirth Swami Maharaj’s 117th Birth Anniversary
May 6
th
, 6 am to 10 pm at the Nashik Ashram
Activities: Geeta Patha (Geeta reading), Sadhana, Kirtan, Mahaprasad, Mantrajagar, Aarti, Palkhi, and
Bhajans after 10.00 pm
Guru Purnima Celebration, July 7
th
, 6 am to 10 pm at the Nashik
Ashram
Activities: Geeta Patha, Sadhana, Guru Puja, Mahaprasad, Mantrajagar, Aarti, Palkhi and Bhajans after
10.00 pm
San Francisco Bay Area, US
Introductory meditation (Purvabhyas) sessions for interested non-Sadhaks and Sadhaks are held each month
in the San Francisco Bay area. Sadhaks also meet each month to conduct a Samuhik Sadhana (group
meditation). For information about future such events in the Bay Area please contact Mrs. Neha Vishwarupe
at (neha.vishwarupe@gmail.com).
Self Awakening Page 20 of 21
Readers’ survey announcement:
With this fourth issue we have completed the first year of our e-newsletter. To continue to be interesting
and responsive, we are asking our readers to take to a short survey. Please help us in this regards by going
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What’s New
P.P. Shri Loknath Tirth Swami
Maharaj Mahayoga Trust
Shrirang Nagar, Gangapur Road,
Nashik 422013, Maharashtra, INDIA
Phone: 91 - 253 – 2311616
E-mail: self.awakening@gmail.com
The Ashram website has been updated with lots of new
information. Please go to:
http://www.mahayoga.org/
How to contribute content to the e-newsletter
The goals of our e-newsletter are:
1. Spread the word about Siddha/Maha Yoga.
2. Provide virtual Satsang to Sadhaks
3. Share relevant life experiences which might help the Sadhak community
4. Ask Kaka Maharaj for guidance on Siddha Yoga
5. Share news about Siddha/Maha Yoga events around the world
If you want to contribute content (articles, news reports, questions, life
experiences) related to any of the above objectives please send it to:
Self.awakening@gmail.com
We’re on the Web!
http://www.mahayoga.org/
May all desire to follow this nectarous Siddhayoga Path!
Self Awakening is the English
language quarterly e-newsletter
of the P. P. Shri Loknath Tirth
Swami Maharaj Mahayoga Trust.
Editor: Mr. Dilip Kamat
Design: Mrs. Neha Vishwarupe
