Swami Satchidananda Energy Enhancement and the Synthesis of Religion - "One Meditation to Rule them All"

SWAMI SATCHIDANANDA - WOODSTOCK GURU 1969

Interfaith Pioneer

SATCHIDANANDA WITH DALAI LAMA

H. H. Swami Satchidananda (Sri Gurudev) was a leading proponent of interfaith understanding. His motto, "Truth is One, Paths are Many," has been celebrated around the world. He organized many interfaith programs, retreats, and conferences. In 1968, Sri Gurudev, along with Rabbi Gelberman; Brother David Steindl-Rast, a Roman Catholic Benedictine monk; and Eido Tai Shimano, a Zen Buddhist monk, co-founded the Center for Spiritual Studies, in which the clergy of different faiths met once a month to share their dialogue. This center grew into the Yoga Ecumenical Seminar that held weekend retreats for the followers of different religions wishing to come together in prayer and meditation and to share ideas.

During these interfaith retreats and symposiums, Sri Gurudev had another innovation: the Yoga Ecumenical Service (now known as the Light Of Truth Universal Service), in which representatives of different faiths gathered together around a circular altar and performed a worship service to a central light. This light—in the form of a lit candle—was adopted as the universal symbol of the Divine. Performing the service were celebrants representing their respective faiths, and offering worship to the central light from their own faith tradition.
 

SATCHIDANANDA AT INTERFAITH CENTER

Sri Gurudev was also invited to serve on the advisory boards of many interfaith organizations. For over 30 years, he lent support to organizations including: The Temple of Understanding, Thanksgiving Square, The Parliament of the World's Religions, The International Interfaith Centre, The Interfaith Center of New York, and the United Religions Initiative.

SATCHIDANANDA WITH QUEEN NOOR OF JORDAN RECEIVING JULIET HOLLISTER AWARD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

In 1980, the World Thanksgiving Council named Sri Gurudev a "Fellow of World Thanksgiving." In 1994, in recognition of his tremendous contribution to interfaith dialogue and understanding, Sri Gurudev was chosen to be among the first recipients of an interfaith award presented by The Temple of Understanding. Sri Gurudev received the Juliet Hollister Award at the United Nations. The two other eminent recipients were Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan and the Very Reverend James Parks Morton, Dean Emeritus of The Cathedral of St. John the Divine and President of The Interfaith Center of New York.
 

SATCHIDANANDA WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON

In 1998, Sri Gurudev was invited to meet President and Mrs. Clinton. During the visit, the Clintons expressed their appreciation for Sri Gurudev's continued support of the Clinton Administration, as well as for his prayers and encouragement during difficult times. Sri Gurudev gave the Clintons a mala (prayer beads), along with copies of his books. They all then participated in a blessing ceremony for the President's godchild.

SATCHIDANANDA WITH BETTY WILLIAMS

That same month, President John Casteen of the University of Virginia invited Sri Gurudev to a luncheon at the University with Ms. Betty Williams, Nobel Peace Laureate and children's rights activist. Following the luncheon, Sri Gurudev joined H. H. the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Nobel Peace Laureates' conference sponsored by the University. After the conference, the Dalai Lama invited Sri Gurudev to attend a plenary session in Washington, D.C. with several other religious leaders to discuss how they could work more closely together toward furthering interreligious dialogue and world peace. This group formally became the "Interreligious Friendship Group" and, in November 1999, it met for another planning session hosted by President Jimmy Carter at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

SATCHIDANANDA AT CARTER CENTER

SATCHIDANANDA WITH INTERFAITH CENTER

Also in the Fall of 1999, Sri Gurudev was invited to give the opening prayers for an interfaith service convened by The Interfaith Center of New York and The Temple of Understanding. This service was a celebration of the interfaith community's commitment to the work of the United Nations, and it marked the opening of the 54th Session of the General Assembly. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, H. E. Kofi Annan, Mrs. Annan, and the President of the General Assembly, H. E. Theo-Ben Gurirab addressed the gathering. During the program, The Rev. James P. Morton gave a tribute in honor of Sri Gurudev's 50th anniversary of Sannyas (ordination as a monk), citing his leadership in the field of interfaith dialogue for those many years.

 

SATCHIDANANDA WITH SRI CHINMOY RECEIVING UNITED NATIONS U THANT PEACE AWARD

Then, in April 2002, Sri Chinmoy presented the U Thant Peace Award to Sri Gurudev, on behalf of The Peace Meditation at the United Nations. The Rev. James P. Morton hosted the occasion at The Interfaith Center. The U Thant Peace Award is given to individuals and organizations that have exemplified the lofty spiritual ideals of the late United Nation's Secretary General U Thant and that have implemented those ideals in the tireless pursuit of world peace. Previous recipients of this prestigious award have included, H. H. Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Nelson Mandela.



"I believe all religions pursue the same goals, that of cultivating human goodness and bringing happiness to all human beings. Though the means might appear different the ends are the same."
—H. H. the 14th the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso

"Every human being under the sun is graciously welcome at the LOTUS."
—The Very Rev. James P Morton, The Interfaith Center of New York

"Words cannot express the uplifting feelings I have experienced in visiting this shrine. The LOTUS celebrates the unity of all faiths, the many paths but one God."
—Rabbi Joseph Gelberman, the New Synagogue; Founder and President, All Faiths Seminary International

"The LOTUS stands as a living monument to the interfaith ideals."
—Dr. Karan Singh, Member of Parliament (India); Internat’l Chairman of the Temple of Understanding

"I appreciate the LOTUS which promotes understanding among all people and among all religions. May we all come to the path of unity that will allow us to overcome the enemy of separation that is now trying to destroy all of the earth."
—Sun Bear, Founder and Medicine Chief of the Bear Tribe Medicine Society

"The LOTUS is a ‘Statue of Spirituality’ equal to the Statue of Liberty. It unites spirituality into the reality of the Oneness of God and Light and gives everybody unity in diversity."
—Yogi Bhajan, Sikh Dharma Chief Religious and Administrative Authority for the Western Hemisphere

"The LOTUS is a visual testimony to interfaith understanding and stands as a beacon of Truth and Peace."
—The Venerable Prabhasa Dharma, Founder of the International Zen Center; 45th generational heir of the Vietnamese Lam Te (Rinzai) Zen Lineage

"The LOTUS was built to address the challenge of the hour: for us to work together in the formation of a global spirituality that will make us realize that we are all one and the welfare of any one lies in the well-being of us all."
—Father Basil Pennington, OCSO, Abbot of the Cistercian Monastery

"More people have died in the name of God and religion than in all the wars and natural calamities. But, the real purpose of any religion is to educate us about our spiritual unity. It is time for us to recognize that there is one truth and many approaches. The basic cause for all the world problems is the lack of understanding of our spiritual unity. The need of the hour is to know, respect, love one another and to live as one global family. Our humble aim in building the LOTUS is to spread this message."

—H. H. Sri Swami Satchidananda, founder of LOTUS

World Faiths Symposium Address
By H. H. Sri Swami Satchidananda
19 July 1986, Charlottesville, Virginia

Beloved friends, this World Faiths Symposium is really a great opportunity for us to come together and to understand each other and our essential unity. We all know that each mind has at least a little difference from other minds.

God—or whatever you like to call the One who created the entire universe—seemed never to make duplicates. The modem scientists say that even two snowflakes are not exactly similar. Two bodies are not similar. Two thumbs are not similar. We are all different physically, mentally, intellectually and, of course, materially too. But in one thing we are one. That is spirit. It is the same spirit that runs through every individual, everything in life.

The life force that runs through this body is the same that runs through a small mosquito. That means that we are all united in spirit. A mosquito is my own brother or sister. And that is what we call universal love, and that is what we call God. If God is love, it means that if you can express that universal love, you are none other than God.

It is to emphasize that unity in the midst of varieties that we are gathered here. That’s why it’s a world symposium, with the theme "Truth is One, Paths are Many." There are many approaches to one Truth. All of our friends here this morning have many cultures, many approaches, but we are all here together to express that one Truth. Let us experience that one Truth.

As our Barbara Marx Hubbard said, "Thoughts are the beginning, words are the continuation, but the acts should be the culmination." Action is most important.

My very dear friend Father Joachim Pillai said, "Find the unity within yourself." It is true. The Bible said, "Love thy neighbor as thyself." If we take time to analyze that phrase we see that it means you have to see yourself in your neighbor. Only then can you love him or her as your own self. How can we do that?

To give a small analogy: Imagine that I give you a tray of fruits. I ask you to look for the apple and pick it up. You look at everything on the tray. If you have to identify the apple, what do you need to have already within you? The image of an apple. Unless you know what an apple is you cannot pick the apple from the tray. So, to pick the apple you should have the apple in you. In the same way, to pick your neighbor as yourself you should know who your Self is. That is why the scriptures say, "Know thyself." Then, see thyself in your neighbor. Then love your neighbor as yourself.

It’s not only the charity that begins at home; even that knowledge—the knowledge of one’s own Self—helps you to see yourself in everybody, in everything. That’s what is called Self-Realization. It begins within. It begins at home. It begins with the individual.

We talk a lot about seeing the same spirit in everybody, but unless we recognize that we are spiritual beings essentially functioning in this body and mind, we don’t identify ourselves as the Spirit. Instead, we identify ourselves with other things that we use. When you use a human body, you are a human. But when you use an animal’s body, you are an animal. When you use the body that has a black color, you call yourself black.

We usually identify ourselves with the things we use in our lives. You live in a certain country so you identify with that country and say, "I am an American." or "I am an Australian." or "I am an Indian." Why? Because you happen to be on that soil, because you happen to be in a certain body. But if you recognize yourself as Spirit, you can no longer say, "Only this is my home; only these are my people."

That limited identification has to be sacrificed. That’s why every shrine, every temple, every church has a sacrificial altar. What is it that we sacrifice? We sacrifice the little "i" We sacrifice the part that says, "This is mine. That is mine. And the rest is not mine." We seem to have too many mines around us. As you all know, more mines means more opportunity for explosions. We may think it’s only on the war field that mines are thrown. But we throw mines in the home. So we have to defuse the mine, change the label and call it Thine. It is very simple; once that is done then the "mines" won't explode anymore. We should free ourselves from all these temporary identifications. In reality we are all that pure "I," pure Self.

There is a beautiful saying in the Rig Veda: "Bring all the beautiful truths from wherever they are; and take them as your own." That is what we should remember. Let the inspiration come from all the sources. Every source, and every individual, has something to offer. I’m not saying to get rid of your individuality. We don’t want to do that. Keep your identity and use it but don’t be limited to that. See everybody as your friend, as your brother, as your sister. There’s only one God in the heaven; we’re all God’s children. We have come to play a game, not to fight. Let’s have fun. Thank you so much.

 

LOTUS - LIGHT OF TRUTH UNIVERSAL SHRINE

Perhaps the crowning glory of Sri Gurudev's interfaith work is the Light Of Truth Universal Shrine—an interfaith shrine built in Yogaville in 1986. LOTUS celebrates the unity behind the diversity of the world religions. Open to people of all faiths to meditate and pray, this shrine uses the universal symbol of light as the symbol of the Divine. It is the first shrine ever built to house altars for every major faith and also faiths less well-known and those not yet known.

PUTTING GEMS INTO THE FOUNDATION OF THE LOTUS

LOTUS Prayer
By H. H. Sri Swami Satchidananda

O Lord, the Light of Lights,
You are the Indweller of the entire Universe.
You are the Light of Awareness.
You are the Light of our Consciousness.
You are the One who enlightens everything and
everybody.
You are the One who makes the sun shine, the moon shine,
Who makes the stars shine, who makes the fire burn.
Kindly lead us to that Light of Wisdom
and remove the darkness of ignorance; enlighten our hearts.
Help us experience that Light within and without.
Help us see the same Light, the same Spirit dwelling everywhere in everything,
or to be more accurate, as everything.
Help us to understand You and You alone through all these various forms
and names, through all these different approaches and ways of worship.
Help us recognize the central unity. Help us realize we are Your image,
Your children, no matter what the differences are.
Let us behold Your Spirit running through all.
Give us the strength and courage and capacity to experience that Peace
and Joy and share that experience with everyone.
Help us to get away from these selfish temptations
with which we are creating all the differences, all the fights, and all the wars.
We have suffered enough due to our ignorance.
Please guide us to know our brothers and sisters
and to know we are all parts of your family.
Enlighten our paths, O the Light of Lights, Lord of Lords. Help us, guide us.


 

INSIDE LOTUS IS THE LIGHT SHINING DOWN FROM THE CHAKRAS ABOVE OUR HEADS SEPARATING INTO THE 12 SHRINES OF ALL THE MAJOR RELIGIONS ON THIS PLANET

Purpose of the LOTUS
Every village should have a temple. First, you build the temple and then live around the temple. This was the teaching of the great old saintly lady, Avvaiyar. She said, "Never live in a village where there is no temple." That was her commandment. That means God is the Lord of the village. We are all God's subjects. So, the Light Of Truth Universal Shrine will be the palace for that king, for God. That is the dream that seems to be haunting me.

The main reason for all the unrest in the world, I feel, is the lack of proper understanding of the spiritual side of the people. I'm trying to bring an awareness that, only through faith, can we help people to realize their spiritual oneness. The moment people understand their spiritual oneness, there is peace. The scriptures say that peace is really in realizing the oneness.

Before I even started building the LOTUS, I did some serious thinking, "Is it necessary? Should we spend money for that? Why can't we spend that money for the more needy people who need something immediately?" And people sometimes ask me these questions. My answer is that I don't deny the importance of immediate service to those who are needy, poor, sick and hungry. But why are people poor? Why are they sick? Why are they hungry? Treating a disease is good, but treating the cause is more important.

The world is destroying itself in the name of religion: "Mine is the best, yours is the worst." The Hindus and Muslims. The Sikhs and the Hindus. The Jews and the Christians. Fighting, fighting. Is that what the religion is for? Do you think God will be happy? No. God wants all His children loving each other, playing with each other, even when they follow different paths. That is why I wanted to build the LOTUS.

The LOTUS will draw many people because it is something unique in the whole world. LOTUS is one of a kind. There is no other shrine like this, accommodating all the various chapels under one roof. The other day, someone sent me a small clipping about a church in California where there is a Catholic and a Protestant chapel under one roof. Here, we are putting all the world religions under one roof. In that respect, it is unique. It should be the pride of Yogaville.

All the religions coming together, respecting each other is Yoga in religion. To bring the religions together is LOTUS. To bring the people together is Yogaville. That is why LOTUS is a part of Yogaville. We are trying our best to reach the people and to tell them that peace is the most important thing. Without peace, even if you have gained the whole world, it is of no use.

Our religion in Yogaville could be called, "Undoism." Enough damage has been done to nature and humanity in the name of religion and God. It is time to undo that. Look at history: More people were killed in the name of God and religion. Even wars and other calamities didn't kill so many people.

That's why, you may call it any way—Hindu or Undo or Christian or Buddhist or Jewish or no religion. Our religion is the basic foundation of all the religions, all the faiths. What we practice is found in every faith, every religion. That means we want to be good and do good. We are be-gooders and do-gooders. We want our lives to be easeful and peaceful so that we can be useful. That is our religion.

We don't say people should give up their chosen religion. No. Never, never, never. We don't believe in that kind of conversion. Just because I love my mother, should I ask you to renounce your mother and love my mother? I should know that as I love my mother, you also love your mother. So we say, "Let us each love our mothers." There is no need to give up your own. In fact, you should not. Be loyal to your parents, your religion, your country; but, at the same time, love the other fellow's also.

You don't have to renounce this to love somebody. That's why it is a universal approach. It is not uniformity, but universality—unity in diversity. We are not trying to put everything into one religion. The world is really beginning to understand this now. There are many, many global interfaith conferences. The time has come; the world has shrunk. We cannot separate ourselves and deny each other. It's time to know, respect, love one another and to live as one global family. Our humble aim in building the LOTUS is to spread that message.

Excerpted from the booklet, "Heaven on Earth: My Vision of Yogaville" by Sri Swami Satchidananda
 

With Energy Enhancement APPRENTICE LEVEL four

THE TRUTH IS ONE, THE PATHS ARE MANY

The Energy Enhancement Symbol

SWAMI SATCHIDANANDAS SYMBOL

The Energy Enhancement Symbol of the Twelve Petalled Lotus of the Heart Center with One of the Symbols of the Worlds Major Religions in Each One of the Petals.

Inside the symbol is the Hexagram - The Seal of Solomon, with the Seven Chakras describing the Three Initiations on the Path of Enlightenment -

Initiation 1. The Opening of the Heart. Solar Plexus to Heart Chakra.

Initiation 2. The Mastery of Relationships, Abdomen to Throat Chakra. Initiation

3. Enlightenment, Base to all the Head Chakras which is taught on the Energy Enhancement Course plus many other Initiations.

At the Very Center is the Heart Chakra radiating Peace and Light outwards.. like the Sun...

ENERGY PROJECTION OUT OF THE BODY

What is a Guru?
By H. H. Sri Swami Satchidananda

A Guru is a stitta pragnyam, one of steady wisdom—one who transcends the body and the mind. The one you call the Guru is the Self. It is the Self that can have equanimity. It is that Divine within, the God within; the Guru is not the man or woman—remember that. When you see somebody and say that they are a "Guru," you don't mean that person—the physical body or the intelligence. You mean that Self.

"Gu" means darkness. "Ru" means remover—the one who removes your ignorance. You are ignorant of your Guru within. He or she just removes that ignorance so that you can see your own Guru within. The Guru is simply one who reflects your original condition, your inner Guru. The external Guru's duty is to show your own Guru within. That way, you won't need to depend on the external Guru.

You are that Guru; you are that Self, in truth. In reality, every one of you is a Guru. However, some people seem to know it; others don't. Sometimes the children seem to know it more. A little boy came up to me and said, "I'm God. Do you know that?" Children seem to know. And that's why they have that divine face. Somehow, we seem to have lost it. We all had that knowledge when we were born. Once you realize that, you will be possessed by beautiful qualities. Nothing can shake you. Until and unless that happens, nothing else can save you. Let us know this first.

The external Guru is to point out the Guru within you. It's almost like a mirror showing your face. The mirror doesn't have a face of its own. It simply reflects your face. Isn't it true that no one has seen his or her own face? Have you ever seen your face? Do you know for sure that you have a face? How do you know? Have you seen it? Yes, in the mirror. But, in the mirror what you see isn't really your face. What you see in the mirror is the reflection.

The Guru should not think that he or she is a Guru. But, the disciple should think of himself or herself as a disciple. It is the disciple that makes the Guru. When you see something beautiful in someone and when you want to learn from that person, then he or she becomes your teacher. The person should not come and say, "Hey, I am your teacher; learn from me." No genuine teacher will ever say that. If asked the question, "Are you my teacher?" they would say, "Well, I don't know. You should know that. If you are learning something from me, maybe I am your teacher then. If you are not learning anything, then I am not your teacher." As long as the disciple wants to learn, it's fine. If the disciple feels, "I am not really satisfied with this teaching; I would like to go to someone else," then, fine; go. There is no bond. A teacher, a Guru, is there not to bind the disciple, but to free the disciple.

In reality, the Guru is not the person. The Guru is the omnipresent consciousness which pervades everything and which guides the entire universe constantly. But because the Guru is within you, and you have never seen it, you want to see it with a reflection. It is there where the external Guru, or the teaching, comes in. Actually, the Guru is the teaching. The teacher may not always be present, but the teaching will always be there. The teaching is the Guru. With the help of the teaching, you will realize your own Guru within. And that Guru constantly guides you in all your efforts in life.
 

You Will Never Be Without Me
By H. H. Sri Swami Satchidananda

When I leave my body I will continue to guide you from a higher level. When you are in the Guru's physical presence you may think that the guidance is coming form the physical side. No, spiritual help need not depend on the physical body.

It's almost like I'm wearing a robe. But when I take this robe off, you are able to see something more real. Once the physical body is gone, those who have the capacity to see, will see the spiritual body. It is the spiritual body that is able to go everywhere, moving freely. The time will come when I will no longer be confined in the body and can easily reach everybody.

Evolved souls, enlightened beings, sages and saints, when they depart from the body they can easily reach everybody. They can do more great things than they did while they were in the body.

The Guru-disciple relationship never ends. It's always there. Whether the Guru leaves the body, or the disciple dies. That relationship is eternal, and Guru and disciple can never be separated.

Remember you will never be without me, never! The body may go, but I am always with you. Always!
 

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