The Sanskrit word guru includes two elements that can be translated as darkness (gu) and light (ru). This means that the guru is a dispeller of darkness. The Satguru is a teacher, a master, a guide who has already realized his true Self, his true identity with the Divine, and assumes the responsibility of helping others so that they may also know themselves. Reading spiritual books points the way but personal experience of the Divine and Divine grace are necessary to attain self-realisation. It is only through the guru that full liberation is achieved. He is the one who shows others their own light ever present within. Satguru, a fully realized master, is a form, a manifestation and an expression of the Divine. Indeed, it is God himself who guides the disciples through a guru. A true guru is humble, who brings people not towards himself, but towards God. He emphasizes not himself, but the teachings. Whatever he does is not for himself, but for the benefit of his disciples. He initiates the disciples into a spiritual path and guides them towards self-realization through giving verbal instructions and oral explanations, sharing spiritual knowledge but also through his own example, through transmission of wisdom and Divine qualities. He gives his disciples their personal guru mantra, which contains the vibration connected directly to the guru, and introduces them also into other specific spiritual practices.

The guru’s teachings may sometimes seem strange and challenging to the mind. A guru assumes often the role of a mirror to help the disciples understand themselves, to show them their weaknesses and negativity that limits them. For the disciples, their own reflection may thus be unbearable. A guru shows his disciples who they are in various ways through making them face the opposite of themselves, through inner and outer challenges, to enable them to transcend themselves and overcome their weaknesses. Thus the disciples may build up spiritual strength and stand firmly on their own feet. A guru teaches through life, through experience, through challenges to make his disciples stronger because to get self-realisation one can’t be weak, but has to be very strong, as God is. Although sometimes it may not seem so from the outside, the guru takes a huge burden and karma on himself and works a lot for his disciples at a spiritual level, but never says what he does.

Grace of the master can change everything, but he always respects the will of the Divine and patiently accompanies his disciples in their journey to Self-realization. He supports them and safeguards the disciples in working out their karmic burden. The disciples must thus prove their commitment to the spiritual progress through their own effort, submission to the course of discipline, obedience and applying the teachings of the guru. The grace of the guru flows to the disciples in direct proportion to the degree of their faith and devotion, thus they should completely surrender themselves to the guru with humility, devotion, complete trust and loving regard. Through spiritual effort, surrender to the guru, yearning for the Divine and thanks to the grace of the master, one may directly experience the Divine. So it is a huge grace and a great opportunity to be on a spiritual path and to have a guru. However there are only a few true disciples who have such strong faith that nothing can break it. Many of the aspirants are devotees who come and go, wandering in their minds and from one guru to another one. The guru always respects free will of his disciples and still takes care of them even if they choose to leave him, for the guru’s love is above all other forms of love and the guru-disciple relationship lasts through lifetimes.

One day however, the disciples must transcend their external guru and discover the inner guru present equally in everybody as the guru tattwa or guru principle, which is the primordial principle of life, the Divine itself. When one honours the outer guru, one honours one’s own Self. The more one surrenders to the external guru, the more one surrenders to oneself till the difference between the outer and the inner guru disappears. The inner guru may be experienced in silence as infinite spaciousness of the expanding heart. And it is the greatest joy of the master to see his disciples grow in spirituality and also become masters of themselves.

"I am often asked to tell the story of when I first met Mahavatar Babaji. It happened when I was five years old. I ate one of the most poisonous seeds in Mauritius and I was admitted into hospital. One day there was a man standing by the window of the hospital, outside, giving sweets to the children in the children's ward. All the children gathered around and he was giving his sweets to them. And I asked him: “Tell me why you are here.” I saw his loving eyes and I still remember his eyes. He looked deep in my eyes and said, “I came here to visit all my children and especially you.” Of course, five-year-old kids don't understand much about it.

Babaji held my hand. He put one sweet and one Mauritian rupee into my hand and said, “Do you know who you are?” I really could not understand what he meant by that. And he said, “Look behind me, do you see the light?” I looked behind him but could not see any light. I said, “No, I don't see any light.” He said, “Look properly in that direction.” And the second time that I looked, I saw bright light, like the sun, and around it there was another halo of light. And with a smile, he said, “That's you.” It was very beautiful, but still the mind could not understand it. Then after that he said to me, “I have to go now because your parents, your mum and your auntie are coming." He just disappeared. That is how I met Mahavatar Babaji for the first time.

Babaji's message is a message of love and unity. It's a message of reconciling one's self, one's mind, with one's true self, the message of self-realization. And his message is very simple. Actually, it's a message of love, how you can apply the universal love in your daily life in whatever you are doing."

My message to you all this day, both for all readers and the disciples and devotees of Swami Vishwananda is this: I am encouraging you to choose rightly, dharmically, by focusing less on the world of illusion and thereby committing whole-heartedly to your spiritual teacher, whomever it may be, and your spiritual path in Divine Love, Patience and Unity.

When I look at your faces, I find that they are different because of the light that has the power of discrimination. That light can correctly judge and understand and know. That light is higher than any other light of the sun, the moon, and the stars. That is why human beings are superior to all these lights that you see outside yourself.

In the light of the sun, in the light of the moon, and in the light of the stars there is no discrimination. The light within you has the power of discrimination. You can use that light to see the darkest corners of your inner chamber. For that you do not need outer guidance. The purpose of a guide, guru, or teacher is to introduce you to that light.

Guru Purnima 2009 at the Maha Jwala Narasimha Temple in South Africa was one filled with pure devotion to Mahavatar Kriya Babaji. The temple had recently been inaugurated by Sri Swami Vishwananda a month before, and we were all eagerly looking forward to out first celebration in the temple and as luck would have it the first major celebration since Swami left was to be Guru Purnima.

It was a night filled with such devotion as we began the Kalash Puja chanting and praising. Then we moved onto the Yagna, were Mahavatar Babaji’s Gayatri mantra was chanted by over 60 devotees 324 times. The special moment came when we began to do Abishek on Babaji’s Stone that Babaji had given to Sri Swami Vishwananda and he in turn had passed down to me. The water in the Kumb was energized and we could all feel Babaji amongst us as we sang from the heart. After pouring water from the Kalash over the stone, Babaji’s presence amongst us exploded.

As is customary with a Homa, I began to mix the ash to bless the devotees. I had put too much water in the pot to mix the ash and as I began to mix the ash and water, a large amount of it spilt. It kind of flew out of the pot a few feet away. At first I thought I had just made a mess and bent to wipe the floor, but just as the cloth hovered above the spill, I noticed a clear footprint.

Shocked and amazed, I really got close to the print and noticed that is was going in the direction of the altar. Just to make sure I was not crazy and was seeing things I called another devotee over to make sure it was actually there. She confirmed it and word spread among the crowd that a footprint had materialized on the floor.

This is a photo of Swami Vishwanada at a disciples home in Kenya materializing vibhuti (holy ash). On the 13 June 2010, the day of Swami’s birthday, the photo also started materializing kumkum (red powder).

My invitation requests that you meditate with me rather than on me. At any time after the first of the forty days following the meditation given below, you may feel free to attune to my vibration quickly. Simply focus on the third eye briefly and see me in your heart chakra taking only a few seconds and I will be with you. You will know what timing is best for you. Also you may invoke as many spiritual teachers as you please along with my vibration.

1. Sit at your altar or in a place of solitude and quietness with your spine straight, even if sitting in a chair. If you can sit in the yogic posture, please do so, but it is necessary only that your spine be straight.

2. Close your eyes and focus your physical eyes and attention on the Ajna chakra or eye. Allow your mind to have any thought it wants to bring into your awareness and do not hold onto the thought. Simply allow thoughts to come and pass effortlessly out of your consciousness like a traveling cloud on a beautiful and quite summer’s day.

3. When your mind is stilled somewhat, gently moves your awareness to the heart chakra and then focuses your consciousness into the spiritual heart which lies in the vicinity of the physical heart.

4. Know, feel or see a sphere of light in the spiritual heart and take your time to nurture the light through feeling your connection with my vibration.

5. See me sitting in yogic posture in the middle of the light in your heart center. However you are aware of me is how it is for you and there is no right or wrong. I may appear to you as vibration, light, or physical form.

6. Many of you will see my form as it has been presented to you through various picture reproductions from those whom I have chosen to come into contact with me in the Himalayas. It is all good.

7. I now hand you a tulsi leaf, holy basil, which is not physical but simply a vibration of light which I use as a symbolic gesture of friendship now as we meditate together. Meditate with me for 10 minutes minimum and optimally one hour or longer each day for 40 consecutive days. If you choose, it would please me greatly if you meditate one hour or longer each of the forty days.

8. I have projected Atma Kriya into your world in golden ray techniques of light through the teaching of Swami Vishwananda. Those of you who have taken the Atma Kriya Initiation and are practicing it may incorporate this time of meditation with me into your regular practice by using 10 minutes minimally of that time for this method.

Those of you who have not taken the Kriya Initiation that Swami Vishwananda gifts mankind, I invite you at the end of the forty days of meditation with me to read Appendices I and II of these epistles and determine if Atma Kriya is the path you wish to follow. (Unity With The Divine)

[ You can also visit: http://atmakriya.org ]

9. I send my love to you eternally. I am at your service and await you at the time of your decision to sit with me in meditation ten minutes or one hour and more for forty successive days.

changes the brain structure

In all the concepts in neuroscience, it is neuroplasticty that has the greatest potential for meaningful interaction with the practice of meditation. Research was carried out by Professor Davidson of University of Wisconsin-Madison on Tibetan monks who had spent 10,000 hours in meditation. Their task was to practice “compassion” meditation, generating a feeling of loving kindness towards all beings. This has parallels with Atma Kriya, which emphasises the importance of developing Bhakti, love and devotion for the Divine.

The study showed a striking difference between meditating novices and monks. The monks showed a dramatic increase in high frequency brain activity called gamma waves during meditation. Thought to be the signature of neuronal activity that knits together far flung brain circuits, gamma waves underlie higher mental activity such as consciousness. Professor Davidson commented, “The novice meditators showed a slight increase in gamma activity, but most monks showed extremely large increases of a sort that has never been reported before in the neuroscience literature”. This suggests that mental training through meditation can bring the brain to a greater level of consciousness.

Kitchari soup is an old ayurvedic recipe, which helps to purify the digestive system. It traditionally consists of mung beans (either green or yellow), basmati rice and coriander. These three ingredients are very sattvic (pure), and have unique properties which promote the healing of all diseases. A kitchari cleanse is a monodiet on which you can eat only that soup. According to Ayurvedic Doctor Vasant Lad, “a five-day kitchari fast will cleanse the system and help to strengthen memory.” A kitchari fast reduces the work load on the digestive system, allowing for greater healing and cleansing to occur.

Mung beans, either green or yellow, are unique in that they supply the necessary amino acids, which together, with rice, helps to enrichen the overall protein value of the meal. Another important and unique aspect of mung beans is that because they have a cool energy, they are detoxifying and help neutralize acids. Mung beans are even recommended as one of the substances to treat toxicity symptoms of aconite poisoning. Mung beans are therefore proteinaceous, highly nutritious and purify the blood. By neutralizing toxins throughout the body, they are able to calm the mind, relieve hypertension, clear the accumulation of excess cholesterol and other lipids from the veins and arteries of the body, and promote the healing of all diseases.

Basmati rice supplies a well-balanced complex carbohydrate for sustained balanced energy. Basmati rice is considered very sattvic (pure) and is very high in prana (vital energy. It balances the physiology, build body tissue and is easy on the digestive system.

Coriander strengthens the stomach and promotes digestion, increases secretion and discharge of urine, reduces fever, and gives a feeling of coolness. Dry coriander seeds also treat diarrhoea and are known to alleviate excessive menstrual flow.

• 1 cup mung beans
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 4 cups water (or more, if you like)
• 1 tea spoon coriander
• 1 tea spoon turmeric (optional)
• 1 tea spoon cumin (optional)

In March 2010, the third Atma Kriya teacher training course took place at Sri Peetha Nilaya ashram in Springen, Germany, home of Sri Swami Vishwananda and the Atma Kriya Yoga Institute.

The ashram was home to twenty-eight new teachers from around the world: Russia, Croatia, Poland, USA, England, Germany, Italy, France, Serbia, Portugal, Denmark and Switzerland. All experienced practitioners, dedicated to sharing the gift of Atma Kriya.

For a week they worked up to 12 hours a day, learning yoga theory, making presentations and mentoring each other. There was also daily group Atma Kriya practise and homework to follow.

An essential part of teaching Atma Kriya is Shaktipath – the transfer of Kriya Shakti from teacher to student during initiation. In order to be able to contain and transfer this Divine energy, the trainee teachers underwent a period of intense cleansing and purification. This included 24 hours of complete silence and reflection, followed by three days of no physical contact with anyone. Each evening directly after class, the teachers performed a Bhu Devi (Mother Earth) purification ritual.

After the Bhu Devi purification, the teachers participated in a Yagna – a traditional Vedic fire ritual used to clear blockages and obstacles to achieving specific goals. In this case, the successful completion of the teacher training course and final initiation. The Yagna was conducted by Sri Swami Vishwananda, who also led the teachers in a meditation to remove karmic blocks and cleanse the soul in preparation for receiving the Kriya Shakti. This process was repeated every day for three days.

By the end of the course, the trainees had spent a week studying hard, making presentations and being tested in many ways. Each student then had a private interview with Sri Swami Vishwananda to determine if they were truly ready to become teachers. Fortunately, all the teachers passed!

On the final day of the Yagna and initiation, many of the existing Atma Kriya teachers from around the world gathered with the new teachers. Sri Swami Vishwananda made offerings representing the five elements to the fire and the Divine Mother. Powerful mantras were chanted by everyone in unison, as the teachers offered their own oblations to the flames. As the fire roared in the Yagna Hall and smoke billowed out of the open windows and into the cold night air, it started snowing. The atmosphere was magical as the teachers then took it in turns to kneel before a picture of Mahavatar Babaji and with open minds and hearts, they received the Kriya Shakti, passed by Swami Vishwananda, in this most sacred and secret of initiation processes.

Congratulations to the class of 2010, which now join a total of 62 certified Atma Kriya teachers and 280 Om Healing co-ordinators from around the world, spreading Mahavatar Babaji and Sri Swami Vishwananda’s teachings.