lilruililruilililllllltiltil

I I ow caN I spcrN To rELL THE sroRY

H of a rnan who not only had a pro-I I fo.rrrd effect on my life,'but who'alsobecame the guru of thousands of students inboth India and the \West? Swami Vishnu-devananda's way of teaching was both simpleand deep. Fortunately, we have a clear picturein his own words of how he started on the

day pass, he rushed the 700 miles to Rishikesh,but was able to listen to Sivananda speak to a

group of disciples for only a few minutesbecause he had to rush back to the army campbefore his pass expired. Though he did notactually meet Sivananda, those few, brief min-utes deeply impressed him. He was struck bySivanandat simplicity and lack of pretensions.

spiritual path. Not surpris-ingly, the incidents thatformed his character andshaped his teachings werethe contacts with his ownguru, Swami Sivananda.

After having completedhigh school at the age of

,, 15, Thankaswamy, as

Swami Vishnu-devanandawas then known, left hissmall village in Kerala tojoin the army. Because'World \War II was inprogress, recruiting stan-dards were somewhat lax

Of this encounter and of their first actualmeeting, Swami Vishnu-devananda said:

I saw for the first time a person who is sincere,and what he says is something directly to you,and when he smiles itt as if some energy werepouring from his face to you. It touched mybody and my mind; my whole body was in a

kind of ecstasy just looking at him.Then, afterwards, I go! my first long leave.

Before I thought of going home, which wasabout 2000 miles south, I wanted to go toRishikesh and stay with Swami Sivananda, in hisashram. I wanted to spend two days in thisashram to learn and hear from him and to asksome questions. On the day I arrived, it wasalmost evening when I was just coming into the

Looking Back onthe Lessons of

Swarni Vishnrr-devan anrda

by Gopala l(rishna

and he was able to join even though he wasunderage. He had excelled in scientific sub-jects in high school, and was accepted as arecruit in the engineering corps. \fhen hecompleted basic training, he was stationed innorthern India. He left home partly because,like any teenaget he wanted to-r.. ihe world,but also because he felt that "something" waspulling him.

That "something" was Swami Sivananda.Thankaswamy happened to see a leaflet aboutSwami Sivananda that had been thrown in hisoffice garbage can. The words on this leafletwere so compelling that Thankaswamy knewhe had to go and see this man. Getting a three-

34 Yogo lnternotionol

ashram. Swami Sivananda with hisdisciples was also coming from hissmall tiny office, down the hill tothe Ganges bank, where his cottageis situated. I was coming towardsthe office and he was coming out ofthe office, so I came face to facewith him.

But now there is a problem. If Istand in front of him as he is com-ing down, it is a customary rhing inIndia that we musr bow our headsbefore all saintly people, all swamisor holy men. Swami Sivananda wasnot only a swami and a holy man,he is also considered to be one of the

He stopped for aminute looking

EI ar beyond

yourintellect lies

inexhaustibleknowledge,

rvealth, strength,power,

peace 8c j"y.

at me; then he came straighttowards me. "You are comingfrom Jalunda?" he said, and h!bowed before me and touchedmy feet.

I'm standing there like a stat-ue. Here is a man, a giant actual-ly, oFcourse he is spiritual giant,but also physically he was quiretall, over 6 feet. There is his 6-foot body bowing before a sillyidiot srupid me, touching myfeet. That touch, that type ofaction, shook my whole bodythis time, and rhit was the firit

On that first evening, just at sunset time, allSivanandat disciples assembled in front of the

Ganges, to worship rhe Ganges. Naturally,for me ir was superstitious ro worship a

flowing river. \il/as there any -."ni.rgin it? I thoughr thar all oF Swaml

Sivanandat disciples must be illiter-ates and fools. Thev didnt knowanything

"bor.rt w"t.., abour

rivers. \7ater is made up ofHz0. None of the disciples atSivananda Ashram seemed toknow anything about this,they're there worshippingthe silly Ganges.

greatest masters of India. I was not ready to bow my headto anyone, ro any holy man, including Swami Sivananda,because after all, all human beings areiqual; why should I

F.:".-y head before Sivananda or any holy m".rl So I justleft the path immediately and hid myself in

" .o.n.., ,o l.t

Sivananda and his disciples pass by.Sivananda came down, and as he was passing by, sud-

denly he looked and saw someonewas hiding in the corner.

time I ever bowed my head toanyone. I fell at the feet of Swami Sivananja ar tharToT.ryt with all my heart, wirh all my love. Until thatday I did nor think that any human b.lne on this Earthcould make me bow my head, with my"love, with mydevotion. Swami Sivananda taughr m. th. simple *"y; h'.saw in.my heart what was hidden there. He saw my'dirt,what that egoistic nature was, but without hesitati,on he

taught me great humility.

Anyhow, it was a beauti-ful scene, because of thesunset and rhe majestic

El-verwhing

Himalayas in the background and the fowing Ganges. Oneither side the swamis in orange robes were sitting and med-itating, chanting and bell ringing. It was a very beautifulsetup, no doubt about it, but for me it was just superstition,worshipping the Ganges and so on. It is just a river.

Then Swami Sivananda came and joined the disciples. Icouldnt understand that. Because the disciples might be

illiterate, but not Sivananda. Het not only a swami, butbefore he became a swami he was a medical doctog anM.D. A medical doctor who doesnt know this much, thatwater is made up of Hz0.

-S7hat kind of doctor is he? fu Iwas thinking like this about Sivananda, as he came to join,how can a doctor not know anphing about HzO, at thatvery moment, Sivananda just turned his head towards megently, he didnt say anything and he turned back again andsimply joined the worship of the Ganges.

Then I saw no more Ganges; the Ganges disappeared.But in its place I saw a mass of light flowing with a mes-

sage. Everlthing is God, even this flowing river is God. Donot use your tiny intellect to understand God, the Infinite.Your intellect is finite, your understanding of chemistry,physiology, science, biology, physics, mathematics is noth-ing. Your knowledge is so little, so finite; so little that youhave not even touched one grain ofsand on the vast beach.

Far beyond your intellect, far beyond your understanding,lies inexhaustible knowledge and wealth and strength and

power, peace and joy. Do not use your intellect to find the

answers for God and his manifestations. Everything is God.Two very difficult lessons on the same day. There was no

more doubting Sivananda. That day was sufficient.

After a two-day stay, Thankaswamy went to visit hisfamily in Kerala, and then returned to the army to com-plete his tour of duty. During this time he began topractice asanas, pranayama, and meditation, learningfrom books he had bought at the ashram. After the warended, he left the army and went home briefy, but was

soon drawn to Rishikesh and Sivananda. He was 18

years old. He went back for a visit, but ended up stayingfor 12 years. He spoke of the many hard lessons he hadyet to learn.

Swomi Sivonondo ond Swomi Vishnu-devonondo

given my word not to an ordinary person, but to a greatsage. I could not go back home; I gave my word. I settledin Sivananda Ashram with my Mastert blessings, not know-ing whether I really had the strength to take my new life.But there was some rype of peace and joy in knowing thatmy future would be under the guidance of a great master.

; is God, even the f.orving riwer is God.

Swami Sivananda passed by; he was going from his officework. He looked at me, "Hmm, stay here." "Yes, Swamiji."That was all I said, without even thinking. Then I under-stood. \Vhy did I give this word, that I will stay? Accordingto the early training in my home with my parents, if yousay you are going to do something, if you give your word,you'cannot takelt back under any conditions. Now I had

Also there was a type of false satisfaction that I might be

able to know more about kundalini, which I was veryinterested in-hatha yoga, kundalini yoga, and so on. So Ithought Master must have seen something in me, somegreatness. I thought that he was going to initiate me intokundalini yoga and I would be able to raise my kundalini.Thatt why I ve been practicing yoga for more than a year

November/December 1994 37

and a half now; I think now I must be ready for such a

deep initiation. \With this false notion and false satisfaction,I arcepted and I stayed there, not knowing what was reallyMastert intention.

Then, to my amazement, the next morning, Masterasked me to go to the guests' rooms to pick up the soiledclothes, and wash them in the Ganges. I did not under-stand why Master gave me that rype of work. You may noteven be able to guess about it, because you've been borninto a different type of government and society, differentfrom where I was born. til{hen you are born in an upper-class caste, you are told not to do any rype of menial work.I thought, "\7hat is the use of all this washing clothes,serving others? I came to learn yoga; I came to awakenkundalini; I came to see God."

But Master had his own way of training; each individualwho comes to the Master has a specific type of fault.Master saw from the very beginning, from the first time,my whole problem is ego. Itt extreme. I was egoistic andstiil I am to a certain extent. So if I was going to go any-where near to God-realization, I had to break this. Fromthe very beginning Mastert own training was to break thisone greatest fault in me, my greatest dirt, the ego.

From these early lessons comes the core of Swamiji'steaching: see God in everJthing and everyone, and serve

them with humility. If you sincerely practice this simpleteaching, slowly your ego will shrink and your heart willgrow.- \Tithin a year, Swami Sivananda initiated Thanka-swamy into sanyas as Swami Vishnu-devananda. In1957, when Swami Vishnu-devananda was 30,Sivananda sent him to the'West, telling him that peoplewere waiting there for him. During the next 36 years he

taught thousands of students. He was our guru, just as

Sivananda had been his.But what is a guru? Sivananda gives the following def-

inition in his book Bliss Diuine.

The Sadguru is Brahman (God) Himself. Heis an ocean of bliss, knowledge, andmercy. He is the captain of your soul.He is a fountain of joy. He removes

Do not use yourintellect to findthe alf.SwefS to

God andhis rnanifestations.

all your troubles, sorrows andobstacles. He shows you the rightdivine path. He tears your veil ofignorance. He makes you immor-tal and divine. He transmutes yourlower diabolic nature. He givesyou the rope of knowledge, andtakes you up when you are drowningin this ocean of Samsara. Do not consid-er him to be only a man. If you take him as a

man, you are a beast. 'W'orship your Guru and bowto him with reverence.

38 Yogo lnternotionol

i,fi;;.,Tffii-1,,g.

letting the Guru into lly HeartI wish I could say that I felt the instant reverence for

Swamiji that he had felt for Sivananda, but I wouldnt betelling the truth. He grew on me slowly. I saw him for thefirst time in l97B ar the ashram in Val Morin, Quebec,during the busy summer season. I d gone to rp..rd th.weekend and "check out the scene." During morning andwening satsangSwamiji sat up at the front of the hall andtalked. \flhat he said was interesting, often entertaining,and always applied to spiritual life. But he was this funnylitde Indian guy. I respected him for his knowledge, but Icertainly didnt feel any reyerence.

My personal relationship with him began when I methim on the path one day. I didnt have anything to sayto him, but out of respect I pranamed. He smiled andpranamed back. That was our entire relationship for thenext while, bowing and smiling at each other. He even-tually learned my name, and would sometimes say a fewwords, but I kept my distance.

Then one day, when I was having intense emotionaldifficulties, I asked if I could speak to him privately, hop-ing for some advice that would calm my mind and showme the way out of my predicament. I told him my prob-lems; he listened and smiled. I could feel both his love forme and his sympathy for my problems. He explainedwhat I should do and how this advice fit with a yogic life.I did what he said, and the problems disappeared.l felt anew closeness with Swamiji, a new sensL of a personalrelationship with him. But still I couldnt compleiely sur-render. I held back. lknew what was best for rne.

In the summer of 1986, Swamiji started planning atour of India for the following year to commemorate ihe100th anniversary of Sivananda's birth. He was invitingstudents to go with him. My wife, Madalasa, and I dis-cussed it, and decided she would go and I would stayhome and take care of our two chiliren, who were 6 ani

p_aymg attention to him, doing what he said? My practi-cal mind said one thing; my heart said another.

At New Year's, I went to the ashram for two days. Idecided that if Swamiji asked me to go ro India'onemore time despite all my previous refusals, I would givein. In those two days I saw him several dmes, but it wasas if I wasnt even rhere. Swamiji didn't greet me, or talkto me, or even mention my name in passing. This wasmost unusual, and was yery upsetting for-me. \[hathad happened to my personal relationship with him?Finally it was 1:00 am on New Year's day-The specialprograms were over and Swamiji was getting ready toleave. In the morning I was going home

"nd wouid.rt

see him again for a long time. I was standing at theback of a crowd of 50 or 60 people, &.lilg. {epr99y{

and thinking, "Oh

See Godin

well, I guess I'm notgoing to India."Just then, Swamijiturned and lookedat me and said,

11 at the time. It seemed impractical to leave ourchildren with friends and relatives while we

both went offto India for six weeks.Several times through the summer and

fall Swamiji asked me if I was going toIndia with him. Every time I'd reply, "No,Swamiji, Madalasa is going but I have tostay home and take care of the children."

He seemed to accept my answer, but thenext time he'd see me he'd ask the same

question again. I got fairly frustrated withhim. I thought, "These sanyasins, they have nohim. I thought, "These sanyasins, they have no

understanding of family life." He was incredibly persis-tent and I was stubbornly resistant. At the same iime Iwas feeling a bit guilty. If he was my teacher, whywasrit I

everlrrhing ;[:{ti:j:[t *:and everyone, .mlt*,*

and word to me.I was totally

serve them ffi:*#:X#\Mith thinking? How did

he know at that pre-| .r. cise moment that Inllmfnty. was ripe to finally

let go and accepthim? Though I

didnt understand, I felt a great wave of relief and ela-tion. I wasnt worried about how it would work out-Iknew itwould be OK. Swamiji would make sure of it.

tWhat amazes me is that he had this sarne sorr of person-al relationship with hundreds of others, and offeied thesame love, patience, and guidance to each one. He neverexpected anything in return. He just gave everything hecould to all who would take it. He was ared, sanyasin.

guru, Swami Wshnu-d.euananda, in t978. He tooh yoga teacher\training tbat lear and ltas been teaching yoga in-Oltawa euersince. He and his wife, Madalasa, run the-siuinanda Yoga Centerin Ottauta.The material in this article is extracted from his booh, A ReaI

|llylrin'.Memories of Swami Vishnu-ievananda, to be pub-lished in the spring.

Swomi Vshnu-devonondo os o young mon.

was to break rny greatest fault - ego.November/December 1994 39