November 20, 2010
Sri Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji – Speech during Kriya Yoga session 2 – November 20, 2010
Jaya Guru Datta
There are requests from devotees for a write up about session 2 of Kriya Yoga class conducted by Sri Swamiji on Nov.20 in Mysore Nada Mantapam.
Most of the class time was spent by Sri Swamiji personally demonstrating the various simple but very effective exercises. It has to be seen and learnt. It is difficult for me to describe the movements correctly in words. Hence I am not going to attempt it. But the gist of the advice given and the funny story that was told, I will try to render to the best of my ability.
“Bhastrika is a must daily. It is a good exercise for the stomach. People do not like to pull in the stomach muscles. They all want to be like Ganesha. Flabby body parts need to be reduced. Just because you have already taken a Kriya Yoga class, you cannot claim that you are a certificate holder. A certificate is only a decoration. Certificates are useless unless some improvement has taken place in your health and in your mental attitude – in intellect, mind, and in the organs of the body. That is the real certificate. Kriya Yoga is not Vedanta but it helps in Atma Vimarshana, introspection into the nature of the soul. Teachers only teach the exercises. They also do not know about the soul.
You must do small small exercises. Then the body will ask for more. There are exercises to improve eye sight. There are exercises you can do lying down, while walking. There are a number of exercises. Some have names. Some have numbers.
You must control your diet. That is a challenge. There will be an improvement then in the body and in the attitude. Lectures are also needed. But more important is practical application. There are appropriate exercises to suit each one’s age. Choose what is right for you. Practice daily in the morning at the time of sunrise.
Some people wake up at 9 or 10 am. That is not good. You sleep at midnight or 1 am. You stay up partying or doing extra office work. Then it is very difficult to get up early in the morning. You will be like a night watchman.
In the beginning, when people slept through my bhajans, I used to feel happy and very good that they are relaxing to my bhajans. Now I am put to shame to know that they slept because they were suffering from lack of sleep and not because of my soothing bhajans. God has created this body with a regulating system. You must follow it.
If you go to sleep with an intense desire to eat chillies bajjis - a hot, spicy,oily snack, you must enquire why you have this desire and also what would be the result of eating that.
Before my accident I used to do a lot of asanas. During surgery they took a bone from my back and grafted it in my arm. After the operation there is a problem. Now I do different asanas. Nothing is compulsory. You must select yourself. But don’t use excuses, like operation and so on to not do exercises. Then you are the unluckiest person. Lazy excuses. Not good. As much as possible you must do. Eighteen days after the accident Swamiji was able to do all the asanas.
If you have to pass gas, you should let it out. Do not control. Just close your eyes and release. Don’t be shy.
There is a story about Tenali Rama ( a witty and a very clever poet and courtier).
The queen while climbing on to the horse farted in public. She did not even make a very loud sound. But the whole town talked about it. Before she returned to the palace the news reached the king. He felt very ashamed and banned her from returning to the palace. She had to go away to her father’s house. After a few days the people stopped talking about it. Tenali Rama felt pity for the queen. He told her that he would somehow find a way out.
One day the king was exercising. He was alone and was going to ride a horse. He had to jump onto the horseback. While doing that the king farted. Only Tenali Rama was present, and of course the horse was there. The king got down from the horse and asked Tenali Rama if he heard. Tenali Rama said, “Yes. It was like a bomb.” The king got very worried that Tenali Rama might make this news public. Tenali Rama said, “Why will I make this public? I will not initiate the topic.” Before they returned to town, Tenali Rama tied a piece of cloth around the mouth of the horse. Everyone asked why the horse’s mouth was tied up. Tenali Rama did not tell anyone what happened. He merely told everyone that he did not want the horse to speak about the king farting. Then the king realized that there is no one in this world who does not ***. He called the queen back.
When Swamiji had the accident, do you know what happened? This one doctor kept coming into the room and enquiring repeatedly if Swamiji was leaving gas. Swamiji was in pain and was getting annoyed with this repeated questioning. When he asked the doctor why he was so eager to know, the doctor revealed the truth that if there is any internal injury gas is not released. He was trying to make certain that there was no internal injury to the organs. That is when Swamiji understood the importance of releasing gas. You may light some incense to help others.
You must do all the pranayama exercises.
During Datta Pratishta in Ganagapuram Feb. 11-13, 2011 Kriya Yoga classes will be conducted in Sri Swamiji’s presence. Please register. You must get ID cards. Become members on facebook and get friendship with Datta Kriya Yoga, Datta Peetham, and Puttu Gam. It is free. It does not cost any money.”
Sri Guru Datta
Courtesy: Smt. Hira Duvvuri