Swami Krishnananda Shashtyabdapurti Mahotsava Commemoration Volume

A Souvenir released on Swami Krishnananda's 60th Birthday

What does Yoga Mean to Me?

by Narayan Kiekens

My brother and myself started practising Yoga postures in 1959. In 1962 my brother wrote to Gurudev Swami Sivananda and exchanged a few letters with him. Gurudev wrote in his first reply: "If you have the facility to organise a branch of the Divine Life Society, kindly do it". And again, "You can help yourself in helping others". Probably he wrote to many people, but it was our great good fortune that we followed his advice and accepted his guidance.

In the West, Yoga was (and still is) advertised as a better kind of gymnastics. At the same time, all kinds of sects cropped up. But throughout, we went on with our study of Gurudev, with our spiritual practice and Karma Yoga.

When I received in October 1981 Pujya Swami Chidanandaji's letter asking me for an article for this commemoration volume, I thought that this was a golden opportunity to ponder over the question: "What does Yoga mean to me now?"

In the West, one is respected only if one knows a lot, or if one can do a lot, or if one has a lot. The performance is respected. Religion is in most cases a Sunday affair only, completely unconnected with life. People are running after name and fame. They commit all kinds of heinous acts for that. I wonder often: "Why do people want to harm themselves? Why do they smoke, drink, drive too fast, drive under influence?" They live without dignity and die without dignity. Western man is only a number, in the capitalist as well as in the communist part of the West.

That is why some people turn to all kinds of sects, because there they have at lest the dignity of being a child of God. But I dislike most of those sects, for they divide people, and in creating division they make the world suffer all the more.

Sadhana—and translating pages of Gurudev's writings and lectures of Swami Satchidananda, Chidananda and Krishnananda was an important part of that Sadhana—revealed to me the following truth. I do not mean that the truth came to me as an intellectual understanding; it came as an inner light.

People are self-destructive and behave in an utterly self-destructive way, because they hate the "Mr. So-and-so" they are in their own eyes and in the eyes of the world. The only way to help them is to show that "Mr. So-and-so is a false non-entity" and that "Brahman is the only real entity”. Therefore Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said: "Be conscious of your dignity”. Therefore Gurudev sang: "Truth is Brahman. Truth is your own Self. Realise this Truth. Be free. Be free. Be free". It took me years to see that and to understand what Krishna meant when He said that the self acted as an enemy. Day by day, laying my head at Gurudev's feet and serving him in his mission, feeling, "I am only a spoon", this insight was revealed to me.

When Americans sing "Hari Om!”, they deform the Sanskrit so much that they seem to sing "Hurry home!", expressing thus a great truth about Yoga: all we have to do is to hurry home, to go to the Source we came from.

Gurudev gave us a still deeper understanding: we never leave home. It is such a great feeling to realize this. It makes one sing and dance and joy.In the spiritual growth, we were considerably helped by Swami Satchidananda. We introduced him in Belgium in May 1966. He initiated me and my brother and changed our names: he made us Siva and Narayan. He served us in all kinds of ways. In 1969 we met Swami Chidanandaji. He also returned several times. We became very close to him too. We owe him a lot. Siva followed the meditation course in the Headquarters Ashram in 1970. Swami Krishnananda's talks were a great help and guidance to us. In all humility and gratitude I lay my head at the feet of all those Swamis and congratulate ourselves on having had the fortune to be associated with the Gurudev Swami Sivananda and his Divine Life Society.Life is action. Even to maintain life we have to act, says Krishna to Arjuna. Our life in the West is by and large mundane and active. We cannot escape it. Of course we can put aside some time for Sadhana. But this can create a problem too, for it is impossible to be a Yogi in the Sadhana room and a Bhogi in the world. Here also, Gurudev shows us the way. He teaches that life itself is yoga, that the whole world is a Sadhana room. There is only one condition: we should not act for the fruits. God says it in the Bible: “Do not eat the forbidden fruit”. Krishna says it in the Gita: “Be a Karma Phala Tyagi”. Not because He is after the fruits of our actions, but because He wants us to keep our peace of mind.Swami Satchidananda said: "For peace of mind, God gave Adam one pill, Moses gave man two tablets". Gurudev gave divine injections and four pills to swallow: serve, love, give, purify. Meditation also is a pill, but it is still more the result of the other four pills. Realisation is the flower and the fruit. It is the fruit we get, when the forbidden fruit is given up.

In Zinal 81, during the international Yoga week, we saw Nandu Mulley, a Kathak dancer. He danced the story of Krishna stealing the butter. Swami Satchidananda nicely explained the inner meaning. Butter is not churned right away. First, some culture is put into it. The milk is left overnight and then it is churned. Radha hides the butter. But Krishna steals it. She waits for him at the Jamuna, but he does not come. When she realises that he has eaten the butter, they dance together. The milk is the mind. With a milky mind, one cannot meditate. First some culture must be put into it. This is Guru's initiation and Upadesh. The churning is meditation. The butter is devotion. One cannot hide it or keep it for oneself, for it is the only thing which is looked for by God. It is the only thing He is willing to accept.

In honouring Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj, we honour a beacon-light of the great Truth about ourselves. May his light shine brightly. There are too many lies about ourselves, clouding human understanding. May the light of Yoga pierce through these dark clouds of ignorance. May Gurudev shower upon Swamiji his choicest blessings and grant him good health and well-being.