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Retreat Report
The Teachings of Bhagavan Nityananda - Open Mind, Pure Mind, Steady Mind
July 1-5, 2009
At the Shiva Ashram, we love Bhagawan Nityananda. So it was a great joy to dedicate five days to thinking, meditating and living in the spirit of the great Bhagawan Nityananda of Ganeshpuri. Each program, Swamiji would introduce Bhagawan as, ‘my grand Guru’, or ‘my Guru’s Guru.’ Many of the retreat participants have travelled to Ganeshpuri, the seat of our tradition, and so this retreat was an opportunity to deepen our inner connection with Bhagawan Nityananda.
The days began with the Nityananda Arati, the same chant that is sung in Bhagawan Nityananda’s Samadhi temple in Ganeshpuri. But even though it was a ‘retreat’, the day was packed with programs. At Midday Devi Ma led some sessions, which as she said it were planned as, ‘a chance to get to know ourselves.’ She taught Self Inquiry, both to use individually and group Self Inquiry on Friday and Saturday. In the afternoons Girijananda ran her successful Jin Shin Jyutsu healing workshops, Sharvani ran the afternoon chanting workshops and the Yoga classes were popular as well. The hatha yoga classes were taught by recent graduates of the Shiva Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Course.
In the evening programs, Swamiji commented on the Chidakash Gita, a collection of Nityananda’s sayings. Each statement had an elevating quality and sparkled with the bliss of consciousness. For example, Bhagawan said, ‘the head is the mango. Within it lies the essence of the five senses. This sweet ambrosia is the supreme energy in man!’ As Swamiji said, ‘You can look in any scripture and you won’t find anything like this. This expression is pure Bhagawan Nityananda.’ Swamiji also gave many insights into the state of a great being. At one point he said, ‘reflect on the essence of the spiritual teachings and make them part of your life. Be unafraid to translate the scriptures into your own terms. Everyone knows what it feels like to be serene, calm and at their best. I use the term, ‘the clear space of good feeling’ as a translation for the state of the Self. Find what works for you within your own mind. You have to learn what works for you. It’s like cracking a code.’ Speaking of his own sadhana, Swamiji said, ‘I saw that I would be me for a long time. I wouldn’t be the Buddha. I had to adopt the ‘marathon runner’s approach’ to the spiritual path.’
The highlight of the retreat was the Intensive, a full day dedicated to meditation and inner contemplation. On the Intensive morning, Swamiji described the Intensive as ‘a sacred ritual that my Guru, Swami Muktananda, created to awaken the Shakti.’ He said it was a chance for us to meet our own true Self and spend time in the company of our Self. Swamiji taught Bhagawan Nityananda’s method of meditation which was to focus on the upward breath, moving up to the space in the crown of the head, and to experience the breath within the body. Practising this, we experienced that expansive feeling that is synonymous with Bhagawan Nityananda. In the afternoon session, a retreat participant from Brisbane and ‘old timer’, Filip Krygsman, spoke warmly about his experiences of being with Baba Muktananda and being in Ganeshpuri in the 1970s. We then viewed a short DVD of Baba Muktananda giving shaktipat. After all the meditation, chanting, inspiring words from Swamiji, and final darshan, it was over. We began the retreat by wanting to be closer to Nityananda; we left it experiencing the vision of Bhagawan Nityananda.
by Narada Jackson
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