Quotes from the Teachings of Swami Kripalu
The following quotes from the teachings of Swami Kripalu are taken from four of my books: "From the Heart of the Lotus, the Teaching Stories of Swami Kripalu," "A Sunrise of Joy, the Lost Darshans of Swami Kripalu," "The Swami Kripalu Reader, Selected Works from a Yogic Master," and "Soul to Soul, Poems, Prayers and Stories to End a Yoga Class." All are available on Amazon Books.
1. The Straw on the River Ganges
(From, "From the Heart of the Lotus, the Teaching Stories of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Monkfish Book Publishing, 2008)
One day the river Ganges was flowing beautifully out of the high Himalayas. The sun was bright on the pure, clean water. There was a sudden gust of wind and the wind picked up a straw and dropped it on the current of the river.
“Look at me!” The straw said. “This river is so beautiful! I’m passing flowers and woods and I can see all the mountains and overhead the sky is blue!”
The river kept flowing and passed one holy place after another.
“Look at me!” The straw said. “I’m passing all the holy places of India.”
They came to a place where a lady was gathering water by the side of the river. She had a bucket and she dipped her bucket into the river and the straw went into her bucket.
“Look at me!” The straw said. “This lady will carry me throughout the town. I’ve found the holy place meant for me.”
“Good by, straw,” the river Ganges said. “I’m going to keep going, but you stay here if you want. I’ve taken you to all the holy places and I’m pleased that you found a place that you like. But first, though, don’t you think you should thank me?”
“Thank you?” The straw said. “For what?”
“For carrying you,” the river said. “You floated in my current and I brought you here.”
“No!” the straw said. “Didn’t you see me swimming? I wasn’t floating; I was swimming.”
“Little straw,” the river laughed. “You were floating, not swimming. You did nothing on your own. You didn’t have the strength to swim on your own in my water and if you had, you would have swam all over the place and not arrived at this holy spot. Go now if you want to, live here and be happy, but give thanks to God.”
And the river left.
Man, who lives in darkness, thinks ‘Look at me! Look at all the things I’m doing!’ Yet God is so great that He hides behind His creation. We should give thanks to Him and remember Him from whom we draw our strength.
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
2. The Old Master Whips The Young Prince
(From, "From the Heart of the Lotus, the Teaching Stories of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Monkfish Book Publishing, 2008)
Once there was an old acharya, an old spiritual teacher. He was an exceptional saint and an exceptional teacher. He served the king of that area and the king respected him so much that he never disobeyed an order from this saint, even though he himself was the king.
The king had one son.
One day the king called the old master to his side and said,
"I'm getting old. The prince is ready to sit upon the throne. I'd like to have a coronation ceremony. Please plan this in keeping with the scriptures."
The acharya planned the ceremony with the help of others in the court, and when the festive day arrived, everyone in the kingdom celebrated. That morning the king and queen inspected the special clothes that the prince was to wear, along with the jewelry and ornaments.
"Everything is fine," the king said. "Bathe and dress the prince now for the ceremony."
But when the prince was only half dressed, he received a message from the acharya. The message said come at once to see me.
The prince was surprised. What could be so important that his teacher would call him now? The prince left immediately because he, too, never disobeyed an order from this great saint. Maybe Guruji wants to tell me something special, the young prince thought, since this is such an important day in my life.
The prince entered the acharya's room and bowed to him. Immediately the acharya took a whip off the wall and whipped him hard on his bare back! Then he did it four more times! He whipped him so hard there were marks and blood on his back.
The prince screamed with pain!
"Why is Guruji punishing me?" He asked himself. "Normally Guruji is gentle and explains everything to me! Today he=s punishing me severely and yet saying nothing! I must have made some mistake!"
When the beating was over, the young prince stood up and looked into the face of his teacher. The old acharya's face was peaceful, totally balanced and calm, and full of compassion for the young prince.
The attendants rushed out to tell the king and soon the king and queen and many others arrived. Here it was, such a happy day, full of music and dancing, and yet the prince was being beaten? No one could understand this.
The prince left the room and everyone saw the marks and blood on his back. They saw the pain and hurt on his face and the tears in his eyes. They knew he had an innocent nature, yet no one dared say a word, not even the king. The old acharya was loved and respected so much that no one ever doubted the wisdom of his actions.
Everyone returned inside the palace and the great coronation ceremony continued. By the end of the day, the young prince had become the new king.
"Maharaja," the old acharya said to the young prince the next day. "Now you're the king, so I'll call you Maharaja. Now you must serve as final Judge on all matters in the kingdom. So I ask you to administer justice to me for the harsh beating I gave you yesterday."
The young king became silent.
"Why did you punish me?" He asked softly
"I saw the need for it," the old acharya said.
"Did I commit some wrong?" the young king asked. "Did I make a mistake?"
"No, you did nothing wrong."
"Then why did you punish me?"
"To teach you a lesson."
"What is the lesson?"
"You were born into the family of a king. You were raised with great love. You have never experienced physical punishment. Now you're the king and you must pass judgement on others. I wanted you to know the pain of physical punishment so that you don't rule too harshly. You must punish people with understanding."
The young king stood up and bowed to his teacher.
"Guruji," he said softly. "I know the horrible pain of the whip now and I won't be unjust to anyone."
"May you rule with compassion," the old acharya said, and then he left the room.
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
3. A Story of Forgiveness
(From, "From the Heart if the Lotus, the Teaching Stories of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Monkfish Book Publishing, 2008)
Once I gave a talk in a small town. The people loved the talk so much that they wouldn't let me leave, and I ended up staying and giving spiritual discourses there for two months.
A few weeks after I left, a man visited the town and he heard everyone talking about me. He didn't like swamis very much. He had had one or two bad experiences. But he was impressed after hearing the people talk about me, so he told a friend,
"The next time this saint comes, let me know. I would like to meet him and serve him."
About a year passed, and then I was able to visit the town again. The friend sent a letter to this man telling him of my planned visit. The man was pleased and made plans to come and see me.
It so happened that I was late. A kind conductor offered me a seat on a train and I accepted it. At the first stop everyone in our car got off except myself and one other man. He must have been lonely, because as we continued on, he moved closer and closer to me, until he was finally sitting next to me.
"Where are you from?" He asked, and I told him.
"Where are you going?" He asked, and I told him.
And then he got mad.
"You're a swami, aren't you!" He said. "And you don't work, do you! You just roam around and around!"
"Yes," I said. "That's what I do."
"Why are you wasting your life like this?" He said. "Find a good saint and go and stay with him and serve him. Study, and make something of yourself. I'm on my way to meet a high saint who everyone loves. Come with me and maybe he will help you."
I didn't say anything.
The train reached the small town where I was going and I got off. The man got off, too. It was evening and I needed to cross a river to get to the town so I walked quickly. The man did, too. We came to the river and I gave the boat keeper my ticket.
"Oh, look!" The man said sarcastically. "He has a ticket! He's not traveling free!"
We both got on the small boat, and three or four people immediately bowed down to me. The man laughed and made fun of them. Indian people bow down to any swami and he was laughing at that.
Then he noticed that there was a large crowd on the other side of the river and he got quiet. He must have thought that the Mahatma was there already and he was giving darshan.
The boat came to the opposite shore and the whole town had gathered to meet me. Someone had told them in advance of my arrival, even though I was late. When everyone saw me they immediately started chanting and singing and 5 or 6 people rushed to carry me from the boat to the shore so my feet wouldn't touch the muddy water.
"No! No!" I begged, but it didn't make any difference. They picked me up and gently placed me on the shore and then everyone bowed down and touched my feet and offered me flowers.
The man was totally shocked. He just stood there. This was the same man who had been coming to see me. He, too, was late that day and we had met by chance. Then his friend called to him.
"Gopal!" His friend called. "You received my letter! And you've already had a chance to meet swami! How wonderful!"
The man burst into tears. He was ashamed of himself now. He touched my feet and said,
"Only you could bear such harsh words from me. I insulted you very much. Please forgive me."
I embraced the man and held him with love and he was happy.
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
4. A Blessing
(From, "A Sunrise of Joy, the Lost Darshans of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Red Elixir. Monkfish Book Publishing, 2012. Page 499.)
Pray to the Lord daily.
Accept happiness and unhappiness as the grace of the Lord.
The Lord keeps the sun in the sky
So everyone can have heat and light.
And keeps the moon in the sky
So everyone can have coolness at night.
The Lord opens the flowers
And allows them to bloom
And then closes and dries them up.
All of these things happen by the will of the Lord,
And we are his children and He loves us.
He doesn't want us to suffer or to be anxious.
So rest,
Rest at His holy feet knowing you are cared for.
God bless you,
Your Beloved, Bapuji
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
5. Yogic Miracles
(From, "A Sunrise of Joy, the Lost Darshans of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Monkfish Book Publishing, 2012. Page 340. This talk was given on August 21, 1977.)
My Dear Disciples,
Today I will talk about yogic miracles. This is a topic of much interest to people, especially to common people who know little about yoga and yet give great importance to these powers.
Many powers can be attained through the practice of yoga. A yogi who attains these vast powers is called a Siddha yogi. He is a representative of God. Although such a person rarely demonstrates his powers, he often uses these powers invisibly, that is, not known to anyone. Yet, we should remember right from the start that the greatest siddhi, or power, is sthitapragnya, the state of supreme bliss and highest spiritual knowledge.
The purpose of yoga is to attain happiness, peace and bliss, not yogic powers or to demonstrate miracles. What is a miracle? A miracle is a surprise, something we don’t understand. America is a land of great physical sciences. To me, it’s full of miracles, full of surprises. I’m from India and have never seen many of the things that are commonplace for you. When I was first introduced to my new home in Summit Station at Amrit’s ashram, there was no grass in the back yard. Two days later, the back yard was full of beautiful, green grass! What’s this, I thought? How did this happen? And then someone told me about the miracle of sod.
Yoga was born in India. Since you live in America, you’re unfamiliar with the culture and history of India. Small children know about yoga and the powers of yogis and they accept these things without surprise. Yoga is now coming to your country and you should know that if you approach yoga with the hope of attaining yogic powers, it will lead you down the wrong path. Those who want to create miracles should remain as physical scientists, not as spiritual scientists, not as yogis.
Flying In The Air
Surprises and miracles won’t captivate our mind forever. When the airplane, radio, submarine, telephone and television were invented, people were spellbound. Yet, within a short time these things were commonplace. Likewise, if yogis fly in the sky to satisfy the curiosity of society, it would cause a great stir at first. But then, once you had seen it, the interest would wane. Who would want to stand for days with upturned eyes and watch a yogi fly in the sky? Aren’t you busy people with better things to do? And we would have to be far from airports, wouldn’t we, so we didn’t crash into airplanes?
I’m being funny on purpose. But really, why should we use the precious years of our life to learn to fly? What purpose does that serve? Baby birds learn to fly within a few days. A seeker would have to spend many, many years or lifetimes mastering this skill. Do you want to be a bird or do you want to be a yogi? Please think about this. Yes, the scriptures of India say that yogis can fly, but yogis don’t seek this power. It comes automatically as they progress in yoga and they hide this achievement because it has no use to them or to society.
Let’s consider the airplane for a moment. Someone looked at a bird and thought, I wish I could do that. So scientists got together and invented the airplane, even though they themselves couldn’t fly. To most of us who don’t understand the laws of physics, it’s almost a miracle, an airplane weighing thousands and thousands of pounds can float like a feather through the air! How wonderful! And because of that miracle, millions and millions of people each day now take sky journeys. What a wonderful invention for the benefit of humanity!
So, is it better to observe a yogi flying through the air while you’re standing on the ground, or is it better to observe a yogi standing on the ground while you’re flying through the air? I presume you would prefer the latter. An event may be dramatic, such as a yogi flying through the air, but it isn’t worth much if it doesn’t benefit others.
Walking On Water
Another yogic power is the ability to walk on water. Ducks can walk on water. Even their babies can do this shortly after birth. And yet everyone wants to see a yogi walk on water. And for what purpose? How does this help anyone?
When I was in Summit Station at Amrit’s ashram, he told me that the small lake nearby froze in the wintertime and the disciples walked and skated on the ice. Are Amrit’s disciples high yogis, then? They can walk on water! If a person drowns, his body floats on water. Yet, everyone wants to see a yogi walk on water. Scientists invented the boat so we can all walk on water and look how this invention has helped our lives.
A Siddha yogi can overhear a conversation thousands of miles away. So what? How does this help anyone? We can turn the radio on and do the same thing. A Siddha yogi can also see things thousands of miles away. So what? How does this help anyone? We can turn on the television and do the same thing.
All miracles are created by God, even the inventions of the physical world. These inventions come from God through the mind of the scientist who brings the invention into the world for the benefit of many. The miracles of spiritual masters come from God, too, through the spiritual master into the world for a specific purpose, maybe a healing. In both cases, man is merely the instrument. The only difference is that a spiritual miracle should be used more discreetly. And even that isn’t correct because spiritual miracles happen automatically by the will of God through the body and mind of the yogi. The yogi doesn’t plan these things. That would involve ego and he has given his ego to God.
So my message to you today is this:
You are all on the yogic path. Don’t get sidetracked by yogic powers. They are useless to a true yogi. The yogi has to give them all up in the end, anyway. The purpose of the spiritual path is to perfect your character, not to amaze others with yogic powers. The two feet of the Beloved Lord are right conduct and self-control. Grasp these feet firmly.
My blessings to you all,
(Bapuji chants Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.)
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
6. Christmas message, December 25th, 1977
(from, "A Sunrise of Joy, the Lost Darshans of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Red Elixir, Monkfish Book Publishing, 2012. Page 375)
(On Christmas morning, 1977, ashram residents hiked up the wooded path to Muktidam and sang Christmas carols to Bapuji on the Muktidam porch. Smiling and happy, Bapuji stood just inside the sliding glass door of his small darshan room and listened to our songs. Later that day, he came for a long afternoon darshan. We performed a play for him about the life of Christ and then he spoke for the first time in four months. He began by chanting the traditional Sanskrit prayers long used by yogis and devotees in India.)
Asato Ma Sad Gamaya.
Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya.
Mrityora Ma Amritam Gamaya.
Lead us from the unreal to the real.
Lead us from darkness to light.
Lead us from death to immortality.
My Beloved Children,
Jai Bhagwan. Happy New Year and Blessings.
I’m very glad to be with you on the celebration of holy Christ’s birth. Just as everyone has an equal right to God, everyone has an equal right to the messenger of God, so I, too, may enjoy Christmas then even though I am a guest of Christianity.
The great masters may be born in an unknown place, but their life doesn’t pass in unknown darkness. They always live in light. Holy Christ is one of the great light bearers of the world. He was really born unknown. His parents, Joseph and Mary, were visiting Bethlehem in order to register their names for a census. When they arrived at the Inn, it was filled and they couldn’t find a room.
“I need a secluded place,” Mary told Joseph. “It is time to deliver.”
Joseph found a place and Mary gave birth to Christ. She wrapped baby Christ in warm clothes and placed him in the manger. Only Joseph, Mary and a few others knew of Christ’s birth and yet today, two thousand years later, his birth is celebrated by millions of people. This is because he was the light. He lived the light and came to spread the light and even today he is still radiating that light.
The prophet Isaiah wrote in his book,
“Prepare the way for the Lord. Make it straight. Clean it and decorate it.”
He said this many years ago and yet his message reverberates in the hearts of Christians everywhere as they prepare their inner consciousness for the auspicious coming of Christ.
Holy Christ gave great importance to righteousness and self-control.
“Be ye holy,” he said, “Even as your Father in heaven is holy.”
What does it mean to be holy? Holy means to be pure in body and mind. We can’t enter the kingdom of God with impure thoughts and actions. Malice, cunning, hypocrisy, jealousy, criticism and adultery are destructive. We have to replace them with honesty, simplicity, love, patience, tolerance and sensual restraint. This is the sadhana, the work of the seeker. Accept it joyfully.
In honor of the birth of holy Christ, plant one seed of virtue. There are many virtues, but love is the highest. Just as by lifting one flower of a garland, the whole garland is lifted, so also, by lifting the flower of love, the whole garland of virtues comes to us.
Wherever there is love, there is God. Wherever there is love, there is peace and happiness. This is called Vaikuntha or heaven. Holy Christ spoke often about love. At one place he said,
“When you come to the altar and remember that there is discord between you and your brother, go first to your brother, remove the discord and return with a cheerful mind. Only then offer your gift to God.”
Dharmacharya Peter (spiritual teacher) also repeated the teachings of his guru when he said,
“Love your brethren earnestly and with a pure heart.”
The highest principle of Sanatan Dharma is Vasudeva Kutumbakam, The Whole World is One Family. God is the father of the whole universe. We are all brothers and sisters, then. We belong to the same family. If we cannot love others, we aren’t following religion, but the illusion of religion. True religion teaches the oneness of all. If there is no unity, no love, no harmony, how can there be religion? Separation is irreligious.
We must learn to love and be patient with those close to us. Religious acts bring happiness to others and ourselves. When you are able to practice patience with family members, true religion has entered your life. The home of religion isn’t in the scriptures, temples and spiritual gatherings. It’s in the heart of a truly religious person. .
So, today, on the auspicious day of Christ’s birth, break through the barriers preventing you from loving others. Allow a torrent of love to flow towards your loved ones freely and let them fully dive deeply into it. Our close ones are thirsty for love. If we don’t offer them the cup of love, then our closed heart will become a poisoned reservoir. The nectar in our hearts is for others, not for us. Give love to your loved ones until they are fully satisfied. They will never leave you unsatisfied, as well.
Love has divine power. If we are able to truly offer love to someone even for a moment, it will transform us, too. We can acquire many things in life, but without love, our life is hardly worth living. We think if someone is breathing that they are alive, and if they aren’t breathing that they are dead, but this isn’t true. Love is the breath. If love exists within us, then we are we alive. If it doesn’t, we are dead.
When the wonderful tree of love grows within us, our language, eyes and actions are transformed and those who come in contact with us feel loved. This is the best Christmas present we can give to others.
This is my message.
Holy Christ loved prayer very much. He considered prayer to be the highest form of devotion. Let us meditate silently together for a few minutes.
May all be happy here.
May all be free of disease.
See the Divine everywhere.
May no one suffer.
Your Beloved Dadaguru, Bapuji.
Jai Bhagwan
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
7. Going into Silence and Seclusion, September 10th, 1977
(from, "A Sunrise of Joy, the Lost Darshans of Swami Kripalu," Red Elixir, Monkfish Book Publishing, 2012. Page 367)
My Beloved Children,
Today I will be leaving for the Sumneytown Ashram where I will enter into silence and seclusion. My three-month stay in America has become four months and it doesn’t want to end. Your love has overwhelmed me and I don’t want to leave you. Truly our samskaras are ancient (our connection). So, I will say a few words to you today and then I will leave for Sumneytown.
Listening to the scriptures is one of the niyamas. Why should someone who can read and write sit and listen to the scriptures?
When we hear something over and over the basic principles become clearer. As the principles become clearer, our mind gradually accepts them, and whatever we mentally accept, we can bring into our character.
Spiritual principles at first may simply be tools of play. But little by little, as we listen to these principles we come closer to understanding them. Just as a carpenter hits a nail over and over until it’s finally deep into the wood, so also we should listen to the scriptures over and over until they are finally deep within us.
When children learn to write, they master one letter at a time. Eventually, they learn to write, but each child progresses in his or her own manner. In the same way, it takes a long time to master the spiritual principles. We should practice and truly try to master them one at a time.
Try to stay awake. Always remember that you are a sadhak (a spiritual seeker). Perhaps you’ve seen the high-wire act in the circus where a man walks high above the ground on a wire. He carries an umbrella for balance and he has to walk with awareness so he doesn’t fall and get hurt. As spiritual seekers, we should live and act with that same awareness. Our umbrella is the umbrella of self-control. Carry this umbrella and ask yourself often:
"Is what I am doing right now hurting me or harming me? Am I walking with balance on the high wire or am I about to fall?”
I wear the clothes of a swami. Why is that important? It reminds me of who I am. It helps me with self-control. Likewise, you wear white. In ancient India, this was a sign that the person was practicing self-control, that the person was trying to lead a disciplined life. In Christianity, the collar of the priest serves this purpose.
Why is self-control important to the seeker? To whatever extent we can remain calm when confronted with an agitating situation, to that extent we will progress. This is called wakefulness.
We should practice wakefulness in all areas of our life. Just as there is over-eating, there is also over-seeing, over-hearing and over-touching. All of our senses can be over used. Just as there is indigestion when we over-eat, there is indigestion when the other senses are overused.
In the beginning, just select one area. Remind yourself often:
“I am a sadhak and I must remain awake in order to grow.” This is the sadhana.
Listen to all the spiritual principles, but practice them one at a time. Truly put your focus on the one you are practicing. Keep your attention on it all day long, like a ticking clock that you won’t let stop.
Just as we need to exercise to digest our food, so too, we need to reflect on spiritual principles to digest them properly. I used to read constantly and quickly. I loved literature, so I wanted to learn everything. I read and wrote poems, plays, short stories and novels and I did this in languages other than Gujarati, as well. I especially liked to see how authors put a story or poem together, what literary techniques they used, how they developed their characters and which part of the selection I liked best.
Then I grew older and became a swami and I started reading the scriptures. There are six scriptures. When I read these selections, I had to slow down. I could no longer rush through the material like I had done before. I learned to read just one sutra (verse) at a time and then I would sit and think about it.
For example in the Vedant Darshan, the subject of Brahma is presented in great depth. You have to understand each sutra in the order in which it’s presented, so you can’t rush through and read the entire thing. This deep reflection is a form of meditation and it’s good for the restless mind.
Practice the spiritual principles and progress each day. Spread the divine light wherever you go. Keep your candle burning. Give happiness to others. To suffer for others is good suffering.
Electricity was recently discovered. Before that people used candles, oil and kerosene lamps. Sometimes these were difficult to light or hard to keep going as the wind blew them out. But now we have electric lights and the wind can’t blow them out. Become an electric light that the wind can’t blow out.
Today I have spoken simply to you, from my heart. I intend to stay in seclusion now as I have a lot of work to do, but I wanted to see you again before I do that, so I have come. Just know that Bapuji is here. Just as you keep the candle in your hand, know that Bapuji is with you.
From the depths of my heart, I bless you all.
(Bapuji chants OM with the ashram residents.)
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
9. Messages from His Slate
Swami Kripalu remained silent for most of his adult life. He wrote on a small slate when he wanted to communicate. He went into seclusion on September 11, 1977, in the United States and gave a public darshan on Sunday afternoons, often writing messages to everyone on his slate. Following are some of his messages from 1977-1980. from, "A Sunrise of Joy, the Lost Darshans of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Red Elixir, Rhinebeck, New York. 2012. Page 453
“Love is the first lesson. Start by loving your family and everyone around you."
"Your loved ones will have faults, but don’t throw them out of your life. If someone has a boil on their arm, you operate on the boil, but you don’t cut their arm off.” February 8, 1978
“I am entering the stage of yoga sadhana where I don’t understand if my feet are wearing my shoes or my shoes are wearing my feet.” August 31, 1980.
"Great souls love everyone in the world, but we must start by loving those people we can. When a husband puts his eyes in front of his wife like two cannons, love seeks the first open door and escapes. It’s the same for a wife, if she acts that way. Love is a form of God. When we love another, God is born in our heart.” January 12, 1980.
“My prana is working in the area of my brain, so my head remains as hot as a boiler. That’s why I’m always touching and rubbing my head. Prana is working intensely in the area of the cerebellum.” August 6, 1980
“Today one of my grand daughters from India came to me and said, Dada, I love you. She spoke to me in Gujarati. Her face was filled with love. Her eyes streamed love. Love radiated from her heart. Her words weren’t necessary. Everything was evident. In the springtime, do blossoms have to say to the trees, We love you? When love comes straight from the heart, it’s like poetry.” August 10, 1980
"Lately, I haven’t been able to keep my balance very well because the prana is working intensely in my head. This continues both night and day, whether I’m asleep or awake. So I’m walking around wobbly in a daze like a drunk man, but it’s from the nectar of love and devotion for God, not from alcohol.” August 13, 1980
“If you’re worried, if you’re suffering, take the medicine of chanting. This is indeed the real medicine. If I tell you that mantra is the best doctor, I would only be telling you part of the truth. Mantra is the entire hospital.” November 23, 1980
“Thank you for this beautiful card. Your names are now on the card of my heart because you wrote your names with the pen of your eyes and the ink of love. This ink is special. It can’t be erased. So your names will be with me for many lifetimes.” August 19, 1979. When Bapuji left for Toronto to renew his VISA, ashram residents gave him a card with everyone’s signature on it.
"Love is God, Himself. It’s the highest mantra. Love your family as yourself. Consider their happiness your greatest happiness. Give others so much love they can’t be without you. They should feel your absence. Their hearts should leap when they see you, such is the depth of your love. To nourish this kind of love, you must continually burn like a lamp and for that you have to practice self-sacrifice.” September 9, 1979
“Today is the sacred day of Father’s Day. Wherever there is love, there is God. Happiness, peace and joy live there. Today you have converted this chapel into a temple of love. The scriptures of Sanatan Dharma say that the three most important people in our lives are mother, father and guru. Through them, love comes into our lives. They are the personification of love, dedication and service. This is their divinity. To serve them is a divine pleasure.
This past half hour has been extremely blissful for me. The love that you offered to me as your spiritual father and grandfather has filled my heart. As each of you came up to me on your knees, the light of your love went deep into me. A stream of love pored from your heart into mine. Our hearts merged, just as a river merges with the ocean. I felt like I was swept away, that I was drowning in your love. I will never forget it. Nourish this love. Keep it going. Don’t allow it to go out. Give it to everyone.” Father’s Day. June 15, 1980
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
10. The Death of Lord Buddha
(from, "From the Heart of the Lotus, the Teaching Stories of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Monkfish Book Publishing, Rhinebeck, New York. 2008)
One morning, Anand, the disciple of Lord Buddha was meditating. As his meditation was ending, he had a vision of the sun setting. Normally this wouldn’t be upsetting since the sun sets everyday, but today this vision shook his body. He trembled all over and tears poured from his eyes.
The meditation continued and Anand saw the light from a lamp go out. Furthermore, the ghee in the jar was gone and the lamp couldn’t be relit. Then the entire scene became pitch black and there was darkness everywhere.
Anand was a high disciple of Lord Buddha and thus he was an unattached monk. Restraint was his temperament. Lord Buddha, himself, had given him his name, Anand, which means Bliss. After meditating for years under the direction of such a high master, few things could disturb his peaceful mind.
What caused this disturbance, then? Where did it come from? Was it a premonition? He decided to discuss the matter with Lord Buddha, himself.
But today was Anand’s day to visit the city and he had little time, so he quickly approached Lord Buddha for morning darshan and decided to wait until he returned to discuss the disturbance in his meditation.
Lord Buddha blessed him and Anand got up to leave, but his feet froze and his entire body shook again and his heart screamed a silent scream of intolerable pain. Clouds of tears poured from the sky of his eyes. He had never kept any secret from his Guru, yet he still wished to maintain silence about his meditation until he had returned from the city.
Anand walked toward the door, but then his heart begged him to turn once more and look upon the face of his Guru. He turned and the compassionate eyes of Lord Buddha fell on him again and overwhelmed him with love.
Then with sad steps, Anand left for the city.
Noontime came and Lord Buddha left to collect alms. A poor person offered him alms that day which contained dried poisonous mushrooms by mistake. After finishing his lunch, the Lord returned to his residence. Within an hour or two, the poison had spread throughout his entire body. The pain became intense, yet the Lord’s face remained tranquil. He was a stoic; therefore he silently welcomed the pain.
It was obvious now to his disciples that Lord Buddha had been poisoned. The news spread throughout the city and thousands of feet ran toward the dying Lord. Thousands of eyes filled with tears and thousands of hearts grieved.
Lord Buddha, however, was omnipotent so surely he must have desired to withdraw himself from God’s divine play, otherwise such an accident with mushrooms could never have happened.
The poor man who had offered the Buddha the mushrooms also heard the news. He ran and collapsed at the lotus feet of Lord Buddha and repeatedly begged forgiveness. The Lord comforted him with total affection.
Anand, too, heard the news while he was still in the city and he rushed back to the monastery. Lord Buddha lay dying in seclusion. Other disciples were guarding the door to his room to keep the grieving people away, as everything was in chaos.
Anand was a close disciple, so he entered the room to serve his master. He bowed with great reverence and now he understood the significance of the setting sun in his meditation and the extinguished flame.
With great tenderness he sat in front of his dying Lord and he tried not to cry, but he didn’t succeed in the least. Great sobs of despair burst from his heart, as if he was crying for all the grieving masses outside the monastery.
Lord Buddha allowed him to cry with great patience.
When Anand finally had no more tears, their eyes met. Anand saw that Lord Buddha’s face was radiant and in that moment, a huge ocean of love poured from the Lord’s eyes, as if the entire heart of the Buddha had migrated into his eyes.
“Anand,” Lord Buddha whispered with such sweetness that the memory of that word and the way it was spoken would forever be with Anand.
“Bhagwan,” Anand whispered back, still grieving, “What happened? Part of me says that this was just an accident, that no one would poison you intentionally. Yet, I’m not convinced.”
“The deed wasn’t intentional,” the Buddha said. “And it isn’t my task to ponder his part. I’m only evaluating my part. I firmly believe that this incident is the result of my karma. Only after I have suffered through it will I be free of it. So hold no hatred towards him. If you hold hatred, new karma will be created in a vicious circle and it will be an obstacle on the path to your own liberation.”
Equanimity is the foundation of greatness and those who are able to behave favorably in even unfavorable situations are indeed great men.
Anand, however, was still a disciple, not a master, so he had doubts.
“My Lord,” he said. “I understand the truth in your words, yet my heart is still angry. This is such a vicious incident. Isn’t anger and bitterness a natural reaction?”
Fierce flames from the poison burned in every atom of the Buddha’s body, but the Lord was in deep contemplation. He was a great stoic and his mind and body were strong and capable of tolerating any type of pain. Great masters don’t allow their minds to go unrestrained toward either pleasure or pain. This is equanimity.
“Son,” Lord Buddha said. “It’s normal to hold hateful feelings when these things happen. To suppress such feelings is also wrong. Eventually learn to tolerate the situation, believing it be the result of one’s previous karma.”
Anand bowed down at his master’s holy feet with faith and devotion. Years ago he had offered his life to the Buddha and today he offered his life again, but this time with greater understanding. Now he never even considered saying, Please bless me, anymore. He had complete faith now that the Lord’s strong grace would always be with him, a treasure house of blessings.
Anand left the room to allow Lord Buddha silence, but he felt as he walked out that Lord Buddha was walking with him.
A few minutes later, Lord Buddha left his body and entered Nirvana.
Three days later, Anand awoke suddenly from a deep sleep. He looked around and remembered where he had laid down to rest, next to a riverbank. In the distance he could see a chain of mountains studded with a canopy of green trees. Rivers flowed easily from the mountains in divine beauty.
It was dusk and the sun glowed with a deep red hue as it gradually descended from the blue sky. Was it truly the sun? No, Anand thought, it’s my Lord, himself, gradually withdrawing his radiance from this earth.
Tears filled his eyes and he slipped into meditation.
“Anand?” He heard a voice say sweetly.
“Yes,” he replied quickly, as every atom in his body recognized the voice and surged with a reply.
“Do you believe me to be dead?”
“Bhagwan, permanent separation from the body is called death, is it not?”
“Anand, you haven’t yet become truly Anand, true Bliss. Only a genuine monk can be considered Anand. You have remained worldly, as yet, and that’s the reason you’re lamenting. Give up your despair.”
“I hate the word death!” Anand shouted. “That’s the reason for my despair!”
“Dear monk, you haven’t yet realized the final truth. Listen! As long as my yogic principles live and as long as my system of sadhana lives, I will also live. Death of the truth is my death. Since truth is eternal, I’m also eternal. I, the Buddha, was merely a seed. At the end of my sadhana, a huge Buddha tree has sprouted from this seed. On its countless small and large branches and sub-branches innumerable Buddha seeds have budded. Anand, in the future huge forests of Buddhas will flourish. I believe this occurrence to be the cause of my immortality. This is not ego. One in who ego resides can never be called a yogi.”
Anand almost drowned in the river of Lord Buddha’s teachings.
“Bhagwan,” he whispered. “My aching heart has received complete consolation. My Lord, now I will be able to walk upon the path lit by you for countless years to come. With your grace, I’ll reach the final destination.”
The sun doesn’t set; it merely moves from one direction to the other.
(added to this website on February 1st, 2015)
1. The Straw on the River Ganges
(From, "From the Heart of the Lotus, the Teaching Stories of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Monkfish Book Publishing, 2008)
One day the river Ganges was flowing beautifully out of the high Himalayas. The sun was bright on the pure, clean water. There was a sudden gust of wind and the wind picked up a straw and dropped it on the current of the river.
“Look at me!” The straw said. “This river is so beautiful! I’m passing flowers and woods and I can see all the mountains and overhead the sky is blue!”
The river kept flowing and passed one holy place after another.
“Look at me!” The straw said. “I’m passing all the holy places of India.”
They came to a place where a lady was gathering water by the side of the river. She had a bucket and she dipped her bucket into the river and the straw went into her bucket.
“Look at me!” The straw said. “This lady will carry me throughout the town. I’ve found the holy place meant for me.”
“Good by, straw,” the river Ganges said. “I’m going to keep going, but you stay here if you want. I’ve taken you to all the holy places and I’m pleased that you found a place that you like. But first, though, don’t you think you should thank me?”
“Thank you?” The straw said. “For what?”
“For carrying you,” the river said. “You floated in my current and I brought you here.”
“No!” the straw said. “Didn’t you see me swimming? I wasn’t floating; I was swimming.”
“Little straw,” the river laughed. “You were floating, not swimming. You did nothing on your own. You didn’t have the strength to swim on your own in my water and if you had, you would have swam all over the place and not arrived at this holy spot. Go now if you want to, live here and be happy, but give thanks to God.”
And the river left.
Man, who lives in darkness, thinks ‘Look at me! Look at all the things I’m doing!’ Yet God is so great that He hides behind His creation. We should give thanks to Him and remember Him from whom we draw our strength.
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
2. The Old Master Whips The Young Prince
(From, "From the Heart of the Lotus, the Teaching Stories of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Monkfish Book Publishing, 2008)
Once there was an old acharya, an old spiritual teacher. He was an exceptional saint and an exceptional teacher. He served the king of that area and the king respected him so much that he never disobeyed an order from this saint, even though he himself was the king.
The king had one son.
One day the king called the old master to his side and said,
"I'm getting old. The prince is ready to sit upon the throne. I'd like to have a coronation ceremony. Please plan this in keeping with the scriptures."
The acharya planned the ceremony with the help of others in the court, and when the festive day arrived, everyone in the kingdom celebrated. That morning the king and queen inspected the special clothes that the prince was to wear, along with the jewelry and ornaments.
"Everything is fine," the king said. "Bathe and dress the prince now for the ceremony."
But when the prince was only half dressed, he received a message from the acharya. The message said come at once to see me.
The prince was surprised. What could be so important that his teacher would call him now? The prince left immediately because he, too, never disobeyed an order from this great saint. Maybe Guruji wants to tell me something special, the young prince thought, since this is such an important day in my life.
The prince entered the acharya's room and bowed to him. Immediately the acharya took a whip off the wall and whipped him hard on his bare back! Then he did it four more times! He whipped him so hard there were marks and blood on his back.
The prince screamed with pain!
"Why is Guruji punishing me?" He asked himself. "Normally Guruji is gentle and explains everything to me! Today he=s punishing me severely and yet saying nothing! I must have made some mistake!"
When the beating was over, the young prince stood up and looked into the face of his teacher. The old acharya's face was peaceful, totally balanced and calm, and full of compassion for the young prince.
The attendants rushed out to tell the king and soon the king and queen and many others arrived. Here it was, such a happy day, full of music and dancing, and yet the prince was being beaten? No one could understand this.
The prince left the room and everyone saw the marks and blood on his back. They saw the pain and hurt on his face and the tears in his eyes. They knew he had an innocent nature, yet no one dared say a word, not even the king. The old acharya was loved and respected so much that no one ever doubted the wisdom of his actions.
Everyone returned inside the palace and the great coronation ceremony continued. By the end of the day, the young prince had become the new king.
"Maharaja," the old acharya said to the young prince the next day. "Now you're the king, so I'll call you Maharaja. Now you must serve as final Judge on all matters in the kingdom. So I ask you to administer justice to me for the harsh beating I gave you yesterday."
The young king became silent.
"Why did you punish me?" He asked softly
"I saw the need for it," the old acharya said.
"Did I commit some wrong?" the young king asked. "Did I make a mistake?"
"No, you did nothing wrong."
"Then why did you punish me?"
"To teach you a lesson."
"What is the lesson?"
"You were born into the family of a king. You were raised with great love. You have never experienced physical punishment. Now you're the king and you must pass judgement on others. I wanted you to know the pain of physical punishment so that you don't rule too harshly. You must punish people with understanding."
The young king stood up and bowed to his teacher.
"Guruji," he said softly. "I know the horrible pain of the whip now and I won't be unjust to anyone."
"May you rule with compassion," the old acharya said, and then he left the room.
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
3. A Story of Forgiveness
(From, "From the Heart if the Lotus, the Teaching Stories of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Monkfish Book Publishing, 2008)
Once I gave a talk in a small town. The people loved the talk so much that they wouldn't let me leave, and I ended up staying and giving spiritual discourses there for two months.
A few weeks after I left, a man visited the town and he heard everyone talking about me. He didn't like swamis very much. He had had one or two bad experiences. But he was impressed after hearing the people talk about me, so he told a friend,
"The next time this saint comes, let me know. I would like to meet him and serve him."
About a year passed, and then I was able to visit the town again. The friend sent a letter to this man telling him of my planned visit. The man was pleased and made plans to come and see me.
It so happened that I was late. A kind conductor offered me a seat on a train and I accepted it. At the first stop everyone in our car got off except myself and one other man. He must have been lonely, because as we continued on, he moved closer and closer to me, until he was finally sitting next to me.
"Where are you from?" He asked, and I told him.
"Where are you going?" He asked, and I told him.
And then he got mad.
"You're a swami, aren't you!" He said. "And you don't work, do you! You just roam around and around!"
"Yes," I said. "That's what I do."
"Why are you wasting your life like this?" He said. "Find a good saint and go and stay with him and serve him. Study, and make something of yourself. I'm on my way to meet a high saint who everyone loves. Come with me and maybe he will help you."
I didn't say anything.
The train reached the small town where I was going and I got off. The man got off, too. It was evening and I needed to cross a river to get to the town so I walked quickly. The man did, too. We came to the river and I gave the boat keeper my ticket.
"Oh, look!" The man said sarcastically. "He has a ticket! He's not traveling free!"
We both got on the small boat, and three or four people immediately bowed down to me. The man laughed and made fun of them. Indian people bow down to any swami and he was laughing at that.
Then he noticed that there was a large crowd on the other side of the river and he got quiet. He must have thought that the Mahatma was there already and he was giving darshan.
The boat came to the opposite shore and the whole town had gathered to meet me. Someone had told them in advance of my arrival, even though I was late. When everyone saw me they immediately started chanting and singing and 5 or 6 people rushed to carry me from the boat to the shore so my feet wouldn't touch the muddy water.
"No! No!" I begged, but it didn't make any difference. They picked me up and gently placed me on the shore and then everyone bowed down and touched my feet and offered me flowers.
The man was totally shocked. He just stood there. This was the same man who had been coming to see me. He, too, was late that day and we had met by chance. Then his friend called to him.
"Gopal!" His friend called. "You received my letter! And you've already had a chance to meet swami! How wonderful!"
The man burst into tears. He was ashamed of himself now. He touched my feet and said,
"Only you could bear such harsh words from me. I insulted you very much. Please forgive me."
I embraced the man and held him with love and he was happy.
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
4. A Blessing
(From, "A Sunrise of Joy, the Lost Darshans of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Red Elixir. Monkfish Book Publishing, 2012. Page 499.)
Pray to the Lord daily.
Accept happiness and unhappiness as the grace of the Lord.
The Lord keeps the sun in the sky
So everyone can have heat and light.
And keeps the moon in the sky
So everyone can have coolness at night.
The Lord opens the flowers
And allows them to bloom
And then closes and dries them up.
All of these things happen by the will of the Lord,
And we are his children and He loves us.
He doesn't want us to suffer or to be anxious.
So rest,
Rest at His holy feet knowing you are cared for.
God bless you,
Your Beloved, Bapuji
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
5. Yogic Miracles
(From, "A Sunrise of Joy, the Lost Darshans of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Monkfish Book Publishing, 2012. Page 340. This talk was given on August 21, 1977.)
My Dear Disciples,
Today I will talk about yogic miracles. This is a topic of much interest to people, especially to common people who know little about yoga and yet give great importance to these powers.
Many powers can be attained through the practice of yoga. A yogi who attains these vast powers is called a Siddha yogi. He is a representative of God. Although such a person rarely demonstrates his powers, he often uses these powers invisibly, that is, not known to anyone. Yet, we should remember right from the start that the greatest siddhi, or power, is sthitapragnya, the state of supreme bliss and highest spiritual knowledge.
The purpose of yoga is to attain happiness, peace and bliss, not yogic powers or to demonstrate miracles. What is a miracle? A miracle is a surprise, something we don’t understand. America is a land of great physical sciences. To me, it’s full of miracles, full of surprises. I’m from India and have never seen many of the things that are commonplace for you. When I was first introduced to my new home in Summit Station at Amrit’s ashram, there was no grass in the back yard. Two days later, the back yard was full of beautiful, green grass! What’s this, I thought? How did this happen? And then someone told me about the miracle of sod.
Yoga was born in India. Since you live in America, you’re unfamiliar with the culture and history of India. Small children know about yoga and the powers of yogis and they accept these things without surprise. Yoga is now coming to your country and you should know that if you approach yoga with the hope of attaining yogic powers, it will lead you down the wrong path. Those who want to create miracles should remain as physical scientists, not as spiritual scientists, not as yogis.
Flying In The Air
Surprises and miracles won’t captivate our mind forever. When the airplane, radio, submarine, telephone and television were invented, people were spellbound. Yet, within a short time these things were commonplace. Likewise, if yogis fly in the sky to satisfy the curiosity of society, it would cause a great stir at first. But then, once you had seen it, the interest would wane. Who would want to stand for days with upturned eyes and watch a yogi fly in the sky? Aren’t you busy people with better things to do? And we would have to be far from airports, wouldn’t we, so we didn’t crash into airplanes?
I’m being funny on purpose. But really, why should we use the precious years of our life to learn to fly? What purpose does that serve? Baby birds learn to fly within a few days. A seeker would have to spend many, many years or lifetimes mastering this skill. Do you want to be a bird or do you want to be a yogi? Please think about this. Yes, the scriptures of India say that yogis can fly, but yogis don’t seek this power. It comes automatically as they progress in yoga and they hide this achievement because it has no use to them or to society.
Let’s consider the airplane for a moment. Someone looked at a bird and thought, I wish I could do that. So scientists got together and invented the airplane, even though they themselves couldn’t fly. To most of us who don’t understand the laws of physics, it’s almost a miracle, an airplane weighing thousands and thousands of pounds can float like a feather through the air! How wonderful! And because of that miracle, millions and millions of people each day now take sky journeys. What a wonderful invention for the benefit of humanity!
So, is it better to observe a yogi flying through the air while you’re standing on the ground, or is it better to observe a yogi standing on the ground while you’re flying through the air? I presume you would prefer the latter. An event may be dramatic, such as a yogi flying through the air, but it isn’t worth much if it doesn’t benefit others.
Walking On Water
Another yogic power is the ability to walk on water. Ducks can walk on water. Even their babies can do this shortly after birth. And yet everyone wants to see a yogi walk on water. And for what purpose? How does this help anyone?
When I was in Summit Station at Amrit’s ashram, he told me that the small lake nearby froze in the wintertime and the disciples walked and skated on the ice. Are Amrit’s disciples high yogis, then? They can walk on water! If a person drowns, his body floats on water. Yet, everyone wants to see a yogi walk on water. Scientists invented the boat so we can all walk on water and look how this invention has helped our lives.
A Siddha yogi can overhear a conversation thousands of miles away. So what? How does this help anyone? We can turn the radio on and do the same thing. A Siddha yogi can also see things thousands of miles away. So what? How does this help anyone? We can turn on the television and do the same thing.
All miracles are created by God, even the inventions of the physical world. These inventions come from God through the mind of the scientist who brings the invention into the world for the benefit of many. The miracles of spiritual masters come from God, too, through the spiritual master into the world for a specific purpose, maybe a healing. In both cases, man is merely the instrument. The only difference is that a spiritual miracle should be used more discreetly. And even that isn’t correct because spiritual miracles happen automatically by the will of God through the body and mind of the yogi. The yogi doesn’t plan these things. That would involve ego and he has given his ego to God.
So my message to you today is this:
You are all on the yogic path. Don’t get sidetracked by yogic powers. They are useless to a true yogi. The yogi has to give them all up in the end, anyway. The purpose of the spiritual path is to perfect your character, not to amaze others with yogic powers. The two feet of the Beloved Lord are right conduct and self-control. Grasp these feet firmly.
My blessings to you all,
(Bapuji chants Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.)
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
6. Christmas message, December 25th, 1977
(from, "A Sunrise of Joy, the Lost Darshans of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Red Elixir, Monkfish Book Publishing, 2012. Page 375)
(On Christmas morning, 1977, ashram residents hiked up the wooded path to Muktidam and sang Christmas carols to Bapuji on the Muktidam porch. Smiling and happy, Bapuji stood just inside the sliding glass door of his small darshan room and listened to our songs. Later that day, he came for a long afternoon darshan. We performed a play for him about the life of Christ and then he spoke for the first time in four months. He began by chanting the traditional Sanskrit prayers long used by yogis and devotees in India.)
Asato Ma Sad Gamaya.
Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya.
Mrityora Ma Amritam Gamaya.
Lead us from the unreal to the real.
Lead us from darkness to light.
Lead us from death to immortality.
My Beloved Children,
Jai Bhagwan. Happy New Year and Blessings.
I’m very glad to be with you on the celebration of holy Christ’s birth. Just as everyone has an equal right to God, everyone has an equal right to the messenger of God, so I, too, may enjoy Christmas then even though I am a guest of Christianity.
The great masters may be born in an unknown place, but their life doesn’t pass in unknown darkness. They always live in light. Holy Christ is one of the great light bearers of the world. He was really born unknown. His parents, Joseph and Mary, were visiting Bethlehem in order to register their names for a census. When they arrived at the Inn, it was filled and they couldn’t find a room.
“I need a secluded place,” Mary told Joseph. “It is time to deliver.”
Joseph found a place and Mary gave birth to Christ. She wrapped baby Christ in warm clothes and placed him in the manger. Only Joseph, Mary and a few others knew of Christ’s birth and yet today, two thousand years later, his birth is celebrated by millions of people. This is because he was the light. He lived the light and came to spread the light and even today he is still radiating that light.
The prophet Isaiah wrote in his book,
“Prepare the way for the Lord. Make it straight. Clean it and decorate it.”
He said this many years ago and yet his message reverberates in the hearts of Christians everywhere as they prepare their inner consciousness for the auspicious coming of Christ.
Holy Christ gave great importance to righteousness and self-control.
“Be ye holy,” he said, “Even as your Father in heaven is holy.”
What does it mean to be holy? Holy means to be pure in body and mind. We can’t enter the kingdom of God with impure thoughts and actions. Malice, cunning, hypocrisy, jealousy, criticism and adultery are destructive. We have to replace them with honesty, simplicity, love, patience, tolerance and sensual restraint. This is the sadhana, the work of the seeker. Accept it joyfully.
In honor of the birth of holy Christ, plant one seed of virtue. There are many virtues, but love is the highest. Just as by lifting one flower of a garland, the whole garland is lifted, so also, by lifting the flower of love, the whole garland of virtues comes to us.
Wherever there is love, there is God. Wherever there is love, there is peace and happiness. This is called Vaikuntha or heaven. Holy Christ spoke often about love. At one place he said,
“When you come to the altar and remember that there is discord between you and your brother, go first to your brother, remove the discord and return with a cheerful mind. Only then offer your gift to God.”
Dharmacharya Peter (spiritual teacher) also repeated the teachings of his guru when he said,
“Love your brethren earnestly and with a pure heart.”
The highest principle of Sanatan Dharma is Vasudeva Kutumbakam, The Whole World is One Family. God is the father of the whole universe. We are all brothers and sisters, then. We belong to the same family. If we cannot love others, we aren’t following religion, but the illusion of religion. True religion teaches the oneness of all. If there is no unity, no love, no harmony, how can there be religion? Separation is irreligious.
We must learn to love and be patient with those close to us. Religious acts bring happiness to others and ourselves. When you are able to practice patience with family members, true religion has entered your life. The home of religion isn’t in the scriptures, temples and spiritual gatherings. It’s in the heart of a truly religious person. .
So, today, on the auspicious day of Christ’s birth, break through the barriers preventing you from loving others. Allow a torrent of love to flow towards your loved ones freely and let them fully dive deeply into it. Our close ones are thirsty for love. If we don’t offer them the cup of love, then our closed heart will become a poisoned reservoir. The nectar in our hearts is for others, not for us. Give love to your loved ones until they are fully satisfied. They will never leave you unsatisfied, as well.
Love has divine power. If we are able to truly offer love to someone even for a moment, it will transform us, too. We can acquire many things in life, but without love, our life is hardly worth living. We think if someone is breathing that they are alive, and if they aren’t breathing that they are dead, but this isn’t true. Love is the breath. If love exists within us, then we are we alive. If it doesn’t, we are dead.
When the wonderful tree of love grows within us, our language, eyes and actions are transformed and those who come in contact with us feel loved. This is the best Christmas present we can give to others.
This is my message.
Holy Christ loved prayer very much. He considered prayer to be the highest form of devotion. Let us meditate silently together for a few minutes.
May all be happy here.
May all be free of disease.
See the Divine everywhere.
May no one suffer.
Your Beloved Dadaguru, Bapuji.
Jai Bhagwan
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
7. Going into Silence and Seclusion, September 10th, 1977
(from, "A Sunrise of Joy, the Lost Darshans of Swami Kripalu," Red Elixir, Monkfish Book Publishing, 2012. Page 367)
My Beloved Children,
Today I will be leaving for the Sumneytown Ashram where I will enter into silence and seclusion. My three-month stay in America has become four months and it doesn’t want to end. Your love has overwhelmed me and I don’t want to leave you. Truly our samskaras are ancient (our connection). So, I will say a few words to you today and then I will leave for Sumneytown.
Listening to the scriptures is one of the niyamas. Why should someone who can read and write sit and listen to the scriptures?
When we hear something over and over the basic principles become clearer. As the principles become clearer, our mind gradually accepts them, and whatever we mentally accept, we can bring into our character.
Spiritual principles at first may simply be tools of play. But little by little, as we listen to these principles we come closer to understanding them. Just as a carpenter hits a nail over and over until it’s finally deep into the wood, so also we should listen to the scriptures over and over until they are finally deep within us.
When children learn to write, they master one letter at a time. Eventually, they learn to write, but each child progresses in his or her own manner. In the same way, it takes a long time to master the spiritual principles. We should practice and truly try to master them one at a time.
Try to stay awake. Always remember that you are a sadhak (a spiritual seeker). Perhaps you’ve seen the high-wire act in the circus where a man walks high above the ground on a wire. He carries an umbrella for balance and he has to walk with awareness so he doesn’t fall and get hurt. As spiritual seekers, we should live and act with that same awareness. Our umbrella is the umbrella of self-control. Carry this umbrella and ask yourself often:
"Is what I am doing right now hurting me or harming me? Am I walking with balance on the high wire or am I about to fall?”
I wear the clothes of a swami. Why is that important? It reminds me of who I am. It helps me with self-control. Likewise, you wear white. In ancient India, this was a sign that the person was practicing self-control, that the person was trying to lead a disciplined life. In Christianity, the collar of the priest serves this purpose.
Why is self-control important to the seeker? To whatever extent we can remain calm when confronted with an agitating situation, to that extent we will progress. This is called wakefulness.
We should practice wakefulness in all areas of our life. Just as there is over-eating, there is also over-seeing, over-hearing and over-touching. All of our senses can be over used. Just as there is indigestion when we over-eat, there is indigestion when the other senses are overused.
In the beginning, just select one area. Remind yourself often:
“I am a sadhak and I must remain awake in order to grow.” This is the sadhana.
Listen to all the spiritual principles, but practice them one at a time. Truly put your focus on the one you are practicing. Keep your attention on it all day long, like a ticking clock that you won’t let stop.
Just as we need to exercise to digest our food, so too, we need to reflect on spiritual principles to digest them properly. I used to read constantly and quickly. I loved literature, so I wanted to learn everything. I read and wrote poems, plays, short stories and novels and I did this in languages other than Gujarati, as well. I especially liked to see how authors put a story or poem together, what literary techniques they used, how they developed their characters and which part of the selection I liked best.
Then I grew older and became a swami and I started reading the scriptures. There are six scriptures. When I read these selections, I had to slow down. I could no longer rush through the material like I had done before. I learned to read just one sutra (verse) at a time and then I would sit and think about it.
For example in the Vedant Darshan, the subject of Brahma is presented in great depth. You have to understand each sutra in the order in which it’s presented, so you can’t rush through and read the entire thing. This deep reflection is a form of meditation and it’s good for the restless mind.
Practice the spiritual principles and progress each day. Spread the divine light wherever you go. Keep your candle burning. Give happiness to others. To suffer for others is good suffering.
Electricity was recently discovered. Before that people used candles, oil and kerosene lamps. Sometimes these were difficult to light or hard to keep going as the wind blew them out. But now we have electric lights and the wind can’t blow them out. Become an electric light that the wind can’t blow out.
Today I have spoken simply to you, from my heart. I intend to stay in seclusion now as I have a lot of work to do, but I wanted to see you again before I do that, so I have come. Just know that Bapuji is here. Just as you keep the candle in your hand, know that Bapuji is with you.
From the depths of my heart, I bless you all.
(Bapuji chants OM with the ashram residents.)
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
9. Messages from His Slate
Swami Kripalu remained silent for most of his adult life. He wrote on a small slate when he wanted to communicate. He went into seclusion on September 11, 1977, in the United States and gave a public darshan on Sunday afternoons, often writing messages to everyone on his slate. Following are some of his messages from 1977-1980. from, "A Sunrise of Joy, the Lost Darshans of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Red Elixir, Rhinebeck, New York. 2012. Page 453
“Love is the first lesson. Start by loving your family and everyone around you."
"Your loved ones will have faults, but don’t throw them out of your life. If someone has a boil on their arm, you operate on the boil, but you don’t cut their arm off.” February 8, 1978
“I am entering the stage of yoga sadhana where I don’t understand if my feet are wearing my shoes or my shoes are wearing my feet.” August 31, 1980.
"Great souls love everyone in the world, but we must start by loving those people we can. When a husband puts his eyes in front of his wife like two cannons, love seeks the first open door and escapes. It’s the same for a wife, if she acts that way. Love is a form of God. When we love another, God is born in our heart.” January 12, 1980.
“My prana is working in the area of my brain, so my head remains as hot as a boiler. That’s why I’m always touching and rubbing my head. Prana is working intensely in the area of the cerebellum.” August 6, 1980
“Today one of my grand daughters from India came to me and said, Dada, I love you. She spoke to me in Gujarati. Her face was filled with love. Her eyes streamed love. Love radiated from her heart. Her words weren’t necessary. Everything was evident. In the springtime, do blossoms have to say to the trees, We love you? When love comes straight from the heart, it’s like poetry.” August 10, 1980
"Lately, I haven’t been able to keep my balance very well because the prana is working intensely in my head. This continues both night and day, whether I’m asleep or awake. So I’m walking around wobbly in a daze like a drunk man, but it’s from the nectar of love and devotion for God, not from alcohol.” August 13, 1980
“If you’re worried, if you’re suffering, take the medicine of chanting. This is indeed the real medicine. If I tell you that mantra is the best doctor, I would only be telling you part of the truth. Mantra is the entire hospital.” November 23, 1980
“Thank you for this beautiful card. Your names are now on the card of my heart because you wrote your names with the pen of your eyes and the ink of love. This ink is special. It can’t be erased. So your names will be with me for many lifetimes.” August 19, 1979. When Bapuji left for Toronto to renew his VISA, ashram residents gave him a card with everyone’s signature on it.
"Love is God, Himself. It’s the highest mantra. Love your family as yourself. Consider their happiness your greatest happiness. Give others so much love they can’t be without you. They should feel your absence. Their hearts should leap when they see you, such is the depth of your love. To nourish this kind of love, you must continually burn like a lamp and for that you have to practice self-sacrifice.” September 9, 1979
“Today is the sacred day of Father’s Day. Wherever there is love, there is God. Happiness, peace and joy live there. Today you have converted this chapel into a temple of love. The scriptures of Sanatan Dharma say that the three most important people in our lives are mother, father and guru. Through them, love comes into our lives. They are the personification of love, dedication and service. This is their divinity. To serve them is a divine pleasure.
This past half hour has been extremely blissful for me. The love that you offered to me as your spiritual father and grandfather has filled my heart. As each of you came up to me on your knees, the light of your love went deep into me. A stream of love pored from your heart into mine. Our hearts merged, just as a river merges with the ocean. I felt like I was swept away, that I was drowning in your love. I will never forget it. Nourish this love. Keep it going. Don’t allow it to go out. Give it to everyone.” Father’s Day. June 15, 1980
(added to this website on January 13, 2015)
10. The Death of Lord Buddha
(from, "From the Heart of the Lotus, the Teaching Stories of Swami Kripalu," by John Mundahl. Monkfish Book Publishing, Rhinebeck, New York. 2008)
One morning, Anand, the disciple of Lord Buddha was meditating. As his meditation was ending, he had a vision of the sun setting. Normally this wouldn’t be upsetting since the sun sets everyday, but today this vision shook his body. He trembled all over and tears poured from his eyes.
The meditation continued and Anand saw the light from a lamp go out. Furthermore, the ghee in the jar was gone and the lamp couldn’t be relit. Then the entire scene became pitch black and there was darkness everywhere.
Anand was a high disciple of Lord Buddha and thus he was an unattached monk. Restraint was his temperament. Lord Buddha, himself, had given him his name, Anand, which means Bliss. After meditating for years under the direction of such a high master, few things could disturb his peaceful mind.
What caused this disturbance, then? Where did it come from? Was it a premonition? He decided to discuss the matter with Lord Buddha, himself.
But today was Anand’s day to visit the city and he had little time, so he quickly approached Lord Buddha for morning darshan and decided to wait until he returned to discuss the disturbance in his meditation.
Lord Buddha blessed him and Anand got up to leave, but his feet froze and his entire body shook again and his heart screamed a silent scream of intolerable pain. Clouds of tears poured from the sky of his eyes. He had never kept any secret from his Guru, yet he still wished to maintain silence about his meditation until he had returned from the city.
Anand walked toward the door, but then his heart begged him to turn once more and look upon the face of his Guru. He turned and the compassionate eyes of Lord Buddha fell on him again and overwhelmed him with love.
Then with sad steps, Anand left for the city.
Noontime came and Lord Buddha left to collect alms. A poor person offered him alms that day which contained dried poisonous mushrooms by mistake. After finishing his lunch, the Lord returned to his residence. Within an hour or two, the poison had spread throughout his entire body. The pain became intense, yet the Lord’s face remained tranquil. He was a stoic; therefore he silently welcomed the pain.
It was obvious now to his disciples that Lord Buddha had been poisoned. The news spread throughout the city and thousands of feet ran toward the dying Lord. Thousands of eyes filled with tears and thousands of hearts grieved.
Lord Buddha, however, was omnipotent so surely he must have desired to withdraw himself from God’s divine play, otherwise such an accident with mushrooms could never have happened.
The poor man who had offered the Buddha the mushrooms also heard the news. He ran and collapsed at the lotus feet of Lord Buddha and repeatedly begged forgiveness. The Lord comforted him with total affection.
Anand, too, heard the news while he was still in the city and he rushed back to the monastery. Lord Buddha lay dying in seclusion. Other disciples were guarding the door to his room to keep the grieving people away, as everything was in chaos.
Anand was a close disciple, so he entered the room to serve his master. He bowed with great reverence and now he understood the significance of the setting sun in his meditation and the extinguished flame.
With great tenderness he sat in front of his dying Lord and he tried not to cry, but he didn’t succeed in the least. Great sobs of despair burst from his heart, as if he was crying for all the grieving masses outside the monastery.
Lord Buddha allowed him to cry with great patience.
When Anand finally had no more tears, their eyes met. Anand saw that Lord Buddha’s face was radiant and in that moment, a huge ocean of love poured from the Lord’s eyes, as if the entire heart of the Buddha had migrated into his eyes.
“Anand,” Lord Buddha whispered with such sweetness that the memory of that word and the way it was spoken would forever be with Anand.
“Bhagwan,” Anand whispered back, still grieving, “What happened? Part of me says that this was just an accident, that no one would poison you intentionally. Yet, I’m not convinced.”
“The deed wasn’t intentional,” the Buddha said. “And it isn’t my task to ponder his part. I’m only evaluating my part. I firmly believe that this incident is the result of my karma. Only after I have suffered through it will I be free of it. So hold no hatred towards him. If you hold hatred, new karma will be created in a vicious circle and it will be an obstacle on the path to your own liberation.”
Equanimity is the foundation of greatness and those who are able to behave favorably in even unfavorable situations are indeed great men.
Anand, however, was still a disciple, not a master, so he had doubts.
“My Lord,” he said. “I understand the truth in your words, yet my heart is still angry. This is such a vicious incident. Isn’t anger and bitterness a natural reaction?”
Fierce flames from the poison burned in every atom of the Buddha’s body, but the Lord was in deep contemplation. He was a great stoic and his mind and body were strong and capable of tolerating any type of pain. Great masters don’t allow their minds to go unrestrained toward either pleasure or pain. This is equanimity.
“Son,” Lord Buddha said. “It’s normal to hold hateful feelings when these things happen. To suppress such feelings is also wrong. Eventually learn to tolerate the situation, believing it be the result of one’s previous karma.”
Anand bowed down at his master’s holy feet with faith and devotion. Years ago he had offered his life to the Buddha and today he offered his life again, but this time with greater understanding. Now he never even considered saying, Please bless me, anymore. He had complete faith now that the Lord’s strong grace would always be with him, a treasure house of blessings.
Anand left the room to allow Lord Buddha silence, but he felt as he walked out that Lord Buddha was walking with him.
A few minutes later, Lord Buddha left his body and entered Nirvana.
Three days later, Anand awoke suddenly from a deep sleep. He looked around and remembered where he had laid down to rest, next to a riverbank. In the distance he could see a chain of mountains studded with a canopy of green trees. Rivers flowed easily from the mountains in divine beauty.
It was dusk and the sun glowed with a deep red hue as it gradually descended from the blue sky. Was it truly the sun? No, Anand thought, it’s my Lord, himself, gradually withdrawing his radiance from this earth.
Tears filled his eyes and he slipped into meditation.
“Anand?” He heard a voice say sweetly.
“Yes,” he replied quickly, as every atom in his body recognized the voice and surged with a reply.
“Do you believe me to be dead?”
“Bhagwan, permanent separation from the body is called death, is it not?”
“Anand, you haven’t yet become truly Anand, true Bliss. Only a genuine monk can be considered Anand. You have remained worldly, as yet, and that’s the reason you’re lamenting. Give up your despair.”
“I hate the word death!” Anand shouted. “That’s the reason for my despair!”
“Dear monk, you haven’t yet realized the final truth. Listen! As long as my yogic principles live and as long as my system of sadhana lives, I will also live. Death of the truth is my death. Since truth is eternal, I’m also eternal. I, the Buddha, was merely a seed. At the end of my sadhana, a huge Buddha tree has sprouted from this seed. On its countless small and large branches and sub-branches innumerable Buddha seeds have budded. Anand, in the future huge forests of Buddhas will flourish. I believe this occurrence to be the cause of my immortality. This is not ego. One in who ego resides can never be called a yogi.”
Anand almost drowned in the river of Lord Buddha’s teachings.
“Bhagwan,” he whispered. “My aching heart has received complete consolation. My Lord, now I will be able to walk upon the path lit by you for countless years to come. With your grace, I’ll reach the final destination.”
The sun doesn’t set; it merely moves from one direction to the other.
(added to this website on February 1st, 2015)