Just when the idea of being with a living master was floating in my mind, I read an article in Times of India in the month of November, 2002 comparing Art of Living (Sri Sri Ravishankarji), Isha Yoga (Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva, Coimbatore) and Siddha Samadhi Yoga (Rishi Prabhakar, Bangalore). In that write-up there was a reference to Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva being surrounded by volunteers with shaved heads. According to the writer, it gave a scary look. The use of the word scary in the article attracted me – I thought the person means business and is not just fooling around.
About a week later, I saw an invitation in TOI for attending an introductory session by Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva in Mumbai itself. I went there and was absolutely floored by the way he spoke and I found glimpses of Osho in his speech. I got hooked! Coming out of the hall, I got myself enrolled for an eight day basic programme (3 hours a day on working days and whole days on Saturday and Sunday) on Pranayam and Meditation starting the following day.
On the very first day, even before we were introduced to Pranayam, I noticed that my tolerance to chilies became nil (till then I was very fond of green chilies). This was the effect of presence (energy) of the master alone as we had not done anything significant on that day. And let me clarify that there was no discussion on food that day. So question of psychological effect also does not arise.
The programme was very well structured and the volunteers continuously helped the participants in correcting postures and processes relating to Pranayam. Towards the end of the course we were initiated into Shunya Meditation (one has only to sit in a comfortable posture for about 15 minutes – nothing is required to be done) through an elaborate Tantric Ritual.
There was an excellent support system as well inasmuch as volunteers helped the participants once every week for next few months in bringing further corrections and refinements in their practices.
In the weekly meetings we were told about the forthcoming programmes from Isha Yoga. After the basic course, next in line was BSP (Bhava Spandana Programme). We were told that this one time (does not add to daily practices) three and half day programme conducted in Coimbatore helps the participants get established in Pranayam and meditation and that after doing this course one is less likely to drop out.
On initial thoughts, I was of the view that let first me do the existing practices well for few months and that this would be too early to go through another course. But then one of my friends (Sri Ashok Kumar Shrivastava) advised me to go for the course as later the Guru himself may not conduct the course. I went by his advice and went to Coimbatore for the course (he was right – later his trained teachers conducted the course). My gullibility helped me again!
It was an intense course and helped many in getting rid of their suppressed feeling and emotions – seated deep in the sub-conscious layers of the mind (for me thing happened long back in 1988 with gibberish). It also evoked a strong and beautiful feeling of love and connectedness (Spandana of Bhava).
In next one year, I did all his courses. These courses included Hatayoga (they are able to teach yoga in two and half days – it is nothing less than a miracle), ‘Inner Engineering Programme’, an advanced course named ‘Samyama’ and a programme named as ‘Vaibhava Shiva’ (a kind of celebration).
I did all the practices in all sincerity. My day used to begin with ‘Vipassana’ (essentially watching one's breath - introduced in ‘Samayama’) followed by Yogasanas and Pranyam. Of course Shunya Meditation twice a day was a must and formed the core of his practices. These practices (except Shunya Meditation) were quite strenuous and alongwith some reading on spiritual matters used to take me over 4 hours everyday.
This took my efforts to a different level – a quantum jump from about an hour a day to over 4 hours a day.
During this period, one of my sisters-in-law (Shikha) was staying with us. She was free as she was searching for a job. She also suffered with asthma. I persuaded her to join the basic course. Effect was miraculous. From next day there was no asthma attack, she lost some weight and her eye sight improved (there was some reduction in number of lense of her specs).
Encouraged by the results in her case and having been persuaded by me, my wife (primarily for reduction of weight) and about a dozen of my friends also did the basic course. My wife did it sincerely for about a year (2004-05). Though she did not loose weight (on the contrary she gained as she relaxed in her food habits a bit thinking that Pranayam will take care of that), she became more content – strong desire to go out and meet friends in the evenings came down drastically – this was a major change.
A year and half later (July 2004) one of my relatives came to us from Allahabad. I had to take her around and so took her to Mumbadevi and Siddhivinayak temples (I had never been there before as there was no such tradition in my family and I had no devotion to deities in temples). I felt some kind of energy in Mumbadevi temple. While she was praying before the deity, I sat for a while in sitting space available in Siddhivinayak temple. There again I experienced peace and some sensation (flow of energy) in my body. I had never experienced any such thing earlier though, as a tourist, I had visited many powerful temples (Pashupatinath, Tirupati, Kashivishwanath, Mahakaal, Dwarika, Somnath etc.).
Next month Shri B P Gaur, an evolved sadhaka, came on transfer to Mumbai. I called on him. There was some fragerance in his chamber. We had a general chat for about 20 minutes. I briefly told him of some of my efforts in the field of meditation and added that I have no experiences which are considered as spiritual experiences. He remarked that he notices changes in me (I had met him for few minutes about a decade or so back). I felt relaxed in his presence.
When I came out of his chamber, I instantaneously forgot his face and there were sensations running throughout my body for next about 24 hours. Only when sensations were over, I remembered his face.
The experience of this satsang was so magnetic that I used to make it point to visit him at least once a month.
Perhaps this sensitivity to feel the energy in temples and in the presence of evolved persons was the result of presence of Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva in my life aided by the practices given by him.
Another way to look at it may be that when, other than the work, most of one’s time is devoted to spiritual practices, in absence of attention paid to them, old sanskaras (anagrams) of the mind relating to desires and reactions get less intense and become weak – mental layer becomes a little transparent and one gets faint glimpses of self.
But, of course, till this stage I was part of crowd of disciples whether it was Osho, preceptor from Vipassana or Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva. There was no one-to-one contact with the masters.
They say when disciple is ready Guru appears. Six months after this (February, 2005), one day I was sitting with Gaur Saheb and I asked him – “why is it that when I sit with him, I feel some energy which I never felt in the presence of exalted masters like Osho and Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva?” He feigned ignorance and told me that there is Siddha Guru, Mungale Sir, in Kolhapur who may, perhaps, have the answer! He asked me if I were interested, he would take me with him to Guruji that weekend. This was, perhaps, his way of taking me to my Guru. He took Guruji’s permission on phone and took me to him.
Another chapter in my life thus opened!
To be contd. …
About a week later, I saw an invitation in TOI for attending an introductory session by Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva in Mumbai itself. I went there and was absolutely floored by the way he spoke and I found glimpses of Osho in his speech. I got hooked! Coming out of the hall, I got myself enrolled for an eight day basic programme (3 hours a day on working days and whole days on Saturday and Sunday) on Pranayam and Meditation starting the following day.
On the very first day, even before we were introduced to Pranayam, I noticed that my tolerance to chilies became nil (till then I was very fond of green chilies). This was the effect of presence (energy) of the master alone as we had not done anything significant on that day. And let me clarify that there was no discussion on food that day. So question of psychological effect also does not arise.
The programme was very well structured and the volunteers continuously helped the participants in correcting postures and processes relating to Pranayam. Towards the end of the course we were initiated into Shunya Meditation (one has only to sit in a comfortable posture for about 15 minutes – nothing is required to be done) through an elaborate Tantric Ritual.
There was an excellent support system as well inasmuch as volunteers helped the participants once every week for next few months in bringing further corrections and refinements in their practices.
In the weekly meetings we were told about the forthcoming programmes from Isha Yoga. After the basic course, next in line was BSP (Bhava Spandana Programme). We were told that this one time (does not add to daily practices) three and half day programme conducted in Coimbatore helps the participants get established in Pranayam and meditation and that after doing this course one is less likely to drop out.
On initial thoughts, I was of the view that let first me do the existing practices well for few months and that this would be too early to go through another course. But then one of my friends (Sri Ashok Kumar Shrivastava) advised me to go for the course as later the Guru himself may not conduct the course. I went by his advice and went to Coimbatore for the course (he was right – later his trained teachers conducted the course). My gullibility helped me again!
It was an intense course and helped many in getting rid of their suppressed feeling and emotions – seated deep in the sub-conscious layers of the mind (for me thing happened long back in 1988 with gibberish). It also evoked a strong and beautiful feeling of love and connectedness (Spandana of Bhava).
In next one year, I did all his courses. These courses included Hatayoga (they are able to teach yoga in two and half days – it is nothing less than a miracle), ‘Inner Engineering Programme’, an advanced course named ‘Samyama’ and a programme named as ‘Vaibhava Shiva’ (a kind of celebration).
I did all the practices in all sincerity. My day used to begin with ‘Vipassana’ (essentially watching one's breath - introduced in ‘Samayama’) followed by Yogasanas and Pranyam. Of course Shunya Meditation twice a day was a must and formed the core of his practices. These practices (except Shunya Meditation) were quite strenuous and alongwith some reading on spiritual matters used to take me over 4 hours everyday.
This took my efforts to a different level – a quantum jump from about an hour a day to over 4 hours a day.
During this period, one of my sisters-in-law (Shikha) was staying with us. She was free as she was searching for a job. She also suffered with asthma. I persuaded her to join the basic course. Effect was miraculous. From next day there was no asthma attack, she lost some weight and her eye sight improved (there was some reduction in number of lense of her specs).
Encouraged by the results in her case and having been persuaded by me, my wife (primarily for reduction of weight) and about a dozen of my friends also did the basic course. My wife did it sincerely for about a year (2004-05). Though she did not loose weight (on the contrary she gained as she relaxed in her food habits a bit thinking that Pranayam will take care of that), she became more content – strong desire to go out and meet friends in the evenings came down drastically – this was a major change.
A year and half later (July 2004) one of my relatives came to us from Allahabad. I had to take her around and so took her to Mumbadevi and Siddhivinayak temples (I had never been there before as there was no such tradition in my family and I had no devotion to deities in temples). I felt some kind of energy in Mumbadevi temple. While she was praying before the deity, I sat for a while in sitting space available in Siddhivinayak temple. There again I experienced peace and some sensation (flow of energy) in my body. I had never experienced any such thing earlier though, as a tourist, I had visited many powerful temples (Pashupatinath, Tirupati, Kashivishwanath, Mahakaal, Dwarika, Somnath etc.).
Next month Shri B P Gaur, an evolved sadhaka, came on transfer to Mumbai. I called on him. There was some fragerance in his chamber. We had a general chat for about 20 minutes. I briefly told him of some of my efforts in the field of meditation and added that I have no experiences which are considered as spiritual experiences. He remarked that he notices changes in me (I had met him for few minutes about a decade or so back). I felt relaxed in his presence.
When I came out of his chamber, I instantaneously forgot his face and there were sensations running throughout my body for next about 24 hours. Only when sensations were over, I remembered his face.
The experience of this satsang was so magnetic that I used to make it point to visit him at least once a month.
Perhaps this sensitivity to feel the energy in temples and in the presence of evolved persons was the result of presence of Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva in my life aided by the practices given by him.
Another way to look at it may be that when, other than the work, most of one’s time is devoted to spiritual practices, in absence of attention paid to them, old sanskaras (anagrams) of the mind relating to desires and reactions get less intense and become weak – mental layer becomes a little transparent and one gets faint glimpses of self.
But, of course, till this stage I was part of crowd of disciples whether it was Osho, preceptor from Vipassana or Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva. There was no one-to-one contact with the masters.
They say when disciple is ready Guru appears. Six months after this (February, 2005), one day I was sitting with Gaur Saheb and I asked him – “why is it that when I sit with him, I feel some energy which I never felt in the presence of exalted masters like Osho and Sadguru Jaggi Vasudeva?” He feigned ignorance and told me that there is Siddha Guru, Mungale Sir, in Kolhapur who may, perhaps, have the answer! He asked me if I were interested, he would take me with him to Guruji that weekend. This was, perhaps, his way of taking me to my Guru. He took Guruji’s permission on phone and took me to him.
Another chapter in my life thus opened!
To be contd. …
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