Darshan of Swami Krishnananda in 1998

by Swami Krishnananda

13. Swami Sivananda

(Darshan given on March 18th, 1998)

A visitor: ...branches all over the world. What would you say helps all these people to feel spiritually united when they're in so many separate countries and each branch is autonomous in some way?

Swamiji: What brings into their mind a sense of community feeling is their admiration for Swami Sivananda, first. Secondly, the impression that his writings have made on their minds. His books are so much liked everywhere that we are unable to supply all the demands. And, more properly, it is the name. They simply take the name and keep a photograph of Swami Sivananda. Two things: his name as a great saint and sage, and his writings, which are highly consoling, illuminating and enlightening. This is the reason which brings people together.

Visitor: So the organisation really doesn't matter, what the organisation is?

Swamiji: They may be anywhere, but their ideal is the same. They think in the same manner, practically. They want Swami Sivananda, and they have such a faith that they feel that by even thinking of him, praying to him, their problems will be solved. So much faith they have got.

Visitor: Swamiji, you never have anyone trying to come into The Divine Life Society who hasn't got that faith – that is, coming for other motives?

Swamiji: There are many in the Ashram coming from outside. They have not come for being impressed by his writings or his name. They know very little of it. But they know this is a spiritual institution, and they teach yoga and they do meditation. For that purpose they come, especially people from foreign countries. They are not coming for the name Swami Sivananda, nor also for the books. It is only the idea they have that there is yoga, which they like very much, whatever their concept of it be, and meditation. Yoga and meditation – it is this that attracts them to this place from other countries. In India it is the name. Of course, the name is there among the disciples of Gurudev even in Western countries, but popularly it is only the love of yoga and meditation.

[Later on]

Another visitor: I was quite out of myself and I didn't know myself.

Swamiji: You were out of yourself?

Visitor: You know, I had meditation really quiet, and then suddenly I began to tremble and I couldn't...

Swamiji: Actually, when you started the meditation, what were you thinking in the mind?

Visitor: I try to think positive, and not negative.

Swamiji: What is the positive?

Visitor: And I try to be quiet and to make good breathing, but today it was...

Swamiji: Whatever it is, you had this kind of experience where you seem to have lost your self-consciousness.

Visitor: Yes. I couldn't breathe again, and it was just...

Swamiji: Do you feel happy after this experience?

Visitor: Not quite, no.

Swamiji: Are you feeling disturbed?

Visitor: All the days I feel happy, but not today. I didn't feel happy.

Swamiji: Why is it that you are not feeling happy? What has disturbed you?

Visitor: I don't know. I wasn't quiet. Something was in me which I didn't just know. I never had that...

Swamiji: Have you a guide who will direct you the way to meditation?

Visitor: No.

Swamiji: It is necessary to have a guide. Now this experience, as far as I understand, is a positive experience. It should make you feel happy. Trembling, etc., are not bad things. They are only indications that you are concentrating your mind in a lofty manner. So it is a good sign.

I would like to have such experience. That would be a very happy thing. Why should you feel disturbed? It is perfectly all right.

Visitor: I never had this... It was for me like I would die, like I was going to be dying, dead. It was very funny. I never had that in my life.

Swamiji: It all depends how you started the meditation. That explains everything else. You say you didn't have any particular idea in your mind. You said 'positive', 'positive', but what is the meaning of 'positive'? There must be one single idea in your mind on which you are concentrating during meditation. I would like to know what is the idea on which you are concentrating in meditation.

Visitor: I try to feel that I am really empty. I try to be empty for God. I try.

Swamiji: You are empty because God will fill you?

Visitor: Yes.

Swamiji: If God fills you, why are you upset? Let Him take possession of you. Then no problem. You are free from all troubles of life. “Empty thyself and I shall fill thee.” This is Christ's saying. First empty yourself, and God will fill you. And if that happens, you are a blessed person. You are a saint in one instant if that could be possible. I should say you must be happy, and you are blessed. Don't feel disturbed. In the beginning it looks a very veiled and unfortunate experience. You don't know what you are seeing actually. Even if God comes suddenly and stands before you, you can't know who is sitting. You can't recognise. You will be shocked: Who is standing? It is God Himself. So, inexperienced and unknown phenomenon may cause some anxiety, though it may be really a positive experience. So I feel you are perfectly all right. There is nothing wrong. Be happy.

Visitor: I will try.

Swamiji: Nothing wrong.

[Later on]

Swamiji: There were three people sitting together. One was a surgeon, one was an engineer, and the third was a politician. They were discussing: Which is the oldest profession in the world?

The surgeon said, “Surgery is the oldest profession because God Himself performed surgery in the beginning of creation. He created Adam. He took a little rib by surgery from the body of Adam, and created Eve. The first surgery is done by God only, so that is the oldest profession.”

The engineer said, “No, it is not like that. God simply said, with His fiat, 'Let there be the world,' and the whole world came. This is a tremendous engineering feat He performed. Who can create the world like that? So the engineering profession is the oldest,” he said.

The politician said, “No, it is not like that. The politician's profession is the oldest. Why? Because every religion says God created the whole universe out of chaos, but who created chaos? Politicians created chaos, so theirs is the oldest.”