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Baba Muktananda’s Timeless Teachings

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Timeless Teaching by Baba Muktananda - 5

Elucidation by Mark McLaughlin

When you come to know yourself through the direct experience of inward-facing meditation, you come to know that God, the very power underlying all of manifestation, is dwelling within you as your very Self. What is more, both the sages of Advaita Vedanta and the Siddhas of non-dual Shaivism tell us that the true essence of the Self is the same in everyone. By coming to know your own Self, you come to know the Self in all others. Like gold that permeates all that is made from gold, the Self permeates all conscious beings as their true essence. Thus, as Baba Muktananda reveals, when you directly experience the imperishable Self within and recognize its inestimable value, you will then know the worth of all others to be the same as your own worth—infinite and utterly immeasurable.

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    Many years ago I wrote a long poem for Gurumayi and I ended it exalting, “I know who I am! I can feel it!”

     

    Capturing this state in words has been immensely beneficial for my sadhana all these years. Sometimes these words flash into my mind, helping me to go deeper, beyond the vagaries of life, and to find the ability to rejoice in a stable and simple love of life. In this pure state not only do I feel my own true worth shimmering within, I spontaneously adore all others. This state is so beautiful that nothing else can totally satisfy me or better quell any raging fires of the small self that seem to inevitably spring up here and there.

     

    Reviewing all of these elucidations on “Baba Muktananda’s Timeless Teachings” has made me extremely grateful. I feel that they all flow together, fitting into a seamless understanding that can be felt or pointed to, but not easily put into words. These teachings and elucidations are a precious, invaluable gift of grace.


    Washington, United States

    This succinct and clear explanation of Baba’s teaching is beautiful. Truly an elucidation, it carefully shines a light on the essence of Baba’s profound message. As I read Baba’s words along with the elucidation this morning, the image of connecting streams, or seams of gold, entered my mind and heart, and in that moment I had a new experience of the unity among us all.


    Ludlow, United Kingdom

    Baba’s teaching touched something very deep within me. I received it as a blessing, motivating me to cultivate my sadhana and to persevere with it. I am becoming aware that it is the many blessings of my Guru that nourish and support my sadhana; these blessings are my present reality, my present world.

     

    For me, sadhana means the path to my Self, to my own divinity. The fruits of my sadhana so far have already led me to a deeper realization of my own worth, which is not merely mental, but a genuine feeling and a day-to-day experience in how I make decisions. When I am steeped in this sense of my inner worth, it feels entirely natural to treat others with respect and love.


    Konolfingen, Switzerland

    As I was contemplating this teaching of Baba ji’s, the first thought that came to my mind was “Who am I?” As I kept contemplating and dwelling on this phrase, I realized I was losing my physical awareness and being drawn into my inner realms.

     

    The more intensely I asked this question, the deeper I dove into my inner world—a vast expanse of scintillating blue light and varied hues of blue, which ultimately turned into many tiny shining Blue Pearls, all dancing to a soothing music. The more I focused my awareness, the more I could hear that the sound emanating was “aham brahmasmi, shivo’ham”—“I am Brahman, I am Shiva.” I could hear this sound moving out of me and spreading everywhere around me.

     

    I am grateful to Gurumayi ji and Baba ji for bestowing this experience upon me.


    Lucknow, India

    Mark’s words about inward-facing meditation and the image of gold stayed with me.

     

    When I sustain my morning meditation practice, I feel more rooted in the experience of my inner Self. As the day unfolds, it becomes easier to remember who I truly am without needing to prove my worth through what I do or becoming caught in the praise or indifference of others.

     

    From that remembrance, my way of seeing other people becomes clearer. I can move through the layers that often cloud an interaction and appreciate more fully that we are all gold shaped into different forms.

    Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Many years ago, when I lived in New York City, there was a homeless man I would pass on my way home. Seeing his situation and state, I was moved to help beyond giving him money, but I didn’t know what to do. Each time I saw him, I experienced a wrestling match between narratives from parents, society, and my conscience as well as my own feelings of responsibility to this man as a fellow human being.

     

    Then I participated in my first Siddha Yoga Shaktipat Intensive. Afterward, when I passed the man, our eyes would meet, and I could feel a sense of oneness with him that I had not been able to access before—a feeling that, in essence, we are the same. A spark, a light of recognition would pass between us. Love and respect for him arose in my heart.

     

    I understood that I had needed to connect with my own Self before I could truly see him. And this, then, is my responsibility to him and to all humans—to recognize them and to welcome them with love.

    Sydney, Australia

    Since receiving shaktipat diksha, my meditations on my higher Self have become deeper and my experiences of the Self—seeing the divine light of the Self blazing bright in my Heart—have enabled me to see the Self in others as the bright light shining from their eyes.

     

    It is truly sublime!

    St. Laurent, Canada

    After reading this teaching from Baba, what immediately arose in my mind was this: I may not be at a stage where I fully experience God within myself or in others, but I can confidently and wholeheartedly say that I believe this to be true.

     

    I have noticed that I do not hold grudges against anyone—including myself—and that when things are not going well, I don’t remain stuck for long in situations that are not beneficial. Instead, I am able to step back and observe each situation and gently move on without attachment.

     

    I feel that this shift has come through the consistent practice of being aware of the Truth, of mantra repetition, and of regular meditation. Deep within, I know that God exists everywhere and in everyone.

    Pune, India