lilruililruilililllllltiltil

I I ow caN I spcrN To rELL THE sroRY day pass, he rushed the 700 miles to Rishikesh,
H of a rnan who not only had a pro- but was able to listen to Sivananda speak to a
I I fo.rrrd effect on my life,'but who'also group of disciples for only a few minutes
became the guru of thousands of students in because he had to rush back to the army camp
both India and the \West? Swami Vishnu- before his pass expired. Though he did not
devananda's way of teaching was both simple actually meet Sivananda, those few, brief min-
and deep. Fortunately, we have a clear picture utes deeply impressed him. He was struck by
in his own words of how he started on the Sivanandat simplicity and lack of pretensions.
spiritual path. Not surpris-
ingly, the incidents that
formed his character and
shaped his teachings were
Looking Back on
the contacts with his own
guru, Swami Sivananda.
the Lessons of
After having completed
high school at the age of
,, 15, Thankaswamy, as
Swami Vishnu-devananda
Swarni Vishnrr-devan anrda
was then known, left his
small village in Kerala to
join the army. Because
'World \War II was in by Gopala l(rishna
progress, recruiting stan-
dards were somewhat lax
and he was able to join even though he was Of this encounter and of their first actual
underage. He had excelled in scientific sub- meeting, Swami Vishnu-devananda said:
jects in high school, and was accepted as a I saw for the first time a person who is sincere,
recruit in the engineering corps. \fhen he and what he says is something directly to you,
completed basic training, he was stationed in and when he smiles itt as if some energy were
northern India. He left home partly because, pouring from his face to you. It touched my
like any teenaget he wanted to-r.. ihe world, body and my mind; my whole body was in a
but also because he felt that "something" was kind of ecstasy just looking at him.
pulling him. Then, afterwards, I go! my first long leave.
Before I thought of going home, which was
That "something" was Swami Sivananda. about 2000 miles south, I wanted to go to
Thankaswamy happened to see a leaflet about Rishikesh and stay with Swami Sivananda, in his
Swami Sivananda that had been thrown in his ashram. I wanted to spend two days in this
office garbage can. The words on this leaflet ashram to learn and hear from him and to ask
were so compelling that Thankaswamy knew some questions. On the day I arrived, it was
he had to go and see this man. Getting a three- almost evening when I was just coming into the

34 Yogo lnternotionol
 E
I ar beyond
ashram. Swami Sivananda with his your at me; then he came straight
disciples was also coming from his
small tiny office, down the hill to intellect lies towards me. "You are coming
from Jalunda?" he said, and h!
the Ganges bank, where his cottage
is situated. I was coming towards inexhaustible bowed before me and touched
my feet.
the office and he was coming out of
the office, so I came face to face knowledge, I'm standing there like a stat-
ue. Here is a man, a giant actual-
with him.
But now there is a problem. If I rvealth, strength, ly, oFcourse he is spiritual giant,
but also physically he was quire
stand in front of him as he is com-
ing down, it is a customary rhing in power, tall, over 6 feet. There is his 6-
foot body bowing before a silly
India that we musr bow our heads
before all saintly people, all swamis
or holy men. Swami Sivananda was
peace 8c j"y. idiot srupid me, touching my
feet. That touch, that type of
action, shook my whole body
not only a swami and a holy man, this time, and rhit was the firit
he is also considered to be one of the time I ever bowed my head to
greatest masters of India. I was not ready to bow my head anyone. I fell at the feet of Swami Sivananja ar thar
to anyone, ro any holy man, including Swami Sivananda,
because after all, all human beings areiqual; why should I ToT.ryt with all my heart, wirh all my love. Until that
day I did
nor think that any human b.lne on this Earth
F.:".-y head before Sivananda or any holy m".rl So I just could make me bow my head, with my"love, with my
left the path immediately and hid myself in .o.n.., ,o l.t devotion. Swami Sivananda taughr m. th. simple *"y; h'.
Sivananda and his disciples pass by. " saw in.my heart what was hidden there. He saw my'dirt,
Sivananda came down, and as he was passing by, sud- what that egoistic nature was, but without hesitati,on he
denly he looked and saw someone taught me great humility.
was hiding in the corner. On that first evening, just at sunset time, all
He stopped for a Sivanandat disciples assembled in front of the
minute looking Ganges, to worship rhe Ganges. Naturally,
for me ir was superstitious ro worship a
flowing river. \il/as there any -."ni.rg
in it? I thoughr thar all oF Swaml
Sivanandat disciples must be illiter-
ates and fools. Thev didnt know
anything
"bor.rtis
w"t.., abour
rivers. \7ater made up of
Hz0. None of the disciples at
Sivananda Ashram seemed to
know anything about this,
they're there worshipping
the silly Ganges.
Anyhow, it was a beauti-
ful scene, because of the
sunset and rhe majestic

E
l-verwhing
 Himalayas in the background and the fowing Ganges. On
either side the swamis in orange robes were sitting and med-
itating, chanting and bell ringing. It was a very beautiful
setup, no doubt about it, but for me it was just superstition,
worshipping the Ganges and so on. It is just a river.
Then Swami Sivananda came and joined the disciples. I
couldnt understand that. Because the disciples might be
illiterate, but not Sivananda. Het not only a swami, but
before he became a swami he was a medical doctog an
M.D. A medical doctor who doesnt know this much, that
-S7hat
water is made up of Hz0. kind of doctor is he? fu I
was thinking like this about Sivananda, as he came to join,
how can a doctor not know anphing about HzO, at that
very moment, Sivananda just turned his head towards me
gently, he didnt say anything and he turned back again and
simply joined the worship of the Ganges.
Then I saw no more Ganges; the Ganges disappeared.
But in its place I saw a mass of light flowing with a mes-
sage. Everlthing is God, even this flowing river is God. Do
not use your tiny intellect to understand God, the Infinite.
Your intellect is finite, your understanding of chemistry,
physiology, science, biology, physics, mathematics is noth-
ing. Your knowledge is so little, so finite; so little that you
have not even touched one grain ofsand on the vast beach.
Far beyond your intellect, far beyond your understanding,
lies inexhaustible knowledge and wealth and strength and
power, peace and joy. Do not use your intellect to find the
answers for God and his manifestations. Everything is God.
Two very difficult lessons on the same day. There was no
more doubting Sivananda. That day was sufficient.
After a two-day stay, Thankaswamy went to visit his
family in Kerala, and then returned to the army to com-
Swomi Sivonondo ond Swomi Vishnu-devonondo
plete his tour of duty. During this time he began to
practice asanas, pranayama, and meditation, learning
from books he had bought at the ashram. After the war given my word not to an ordinary person, but to a great
ended, he left the army and went home briefy, but was sage. I could not go back home; I gave my word. I settled
soon drawn to Rishikesh and Sivananda. He was 18 in Sivananda Ashram with my Mastert blessings, not know-
ing whether I really had the strength to take my new life.
years old. He went back for a visit, but ended up staying
But there was some rype of peace and joy in knowing that
for 12 years. He spoke of the many hard lessons he had my future would be under the guidance of a great master.
yet to learn.

; is God, even the f.orving riwer is God.

Swami Sivananda passed by; he was going from his office
work. He looked at me, "Hmm, stay here." "Yes, Swamiji."
That was all I said, without even thinking. Then I under-
stood. \Vhy did I give this word, that I will stay? According
to the early training in my home with my parents, if you
say you are going to do something, if you give your word,
you'cannot takelt back under any conditions. Now I had
Also there was a type of false satisfaction that I might be
able to know more about kundalini, which I was very
interested in-hatha yoga, kundalini yoga, and so on. So I
thought Master must have seen something in me, some
greatness. I thought that he was going to initiate me into
kundalini yoga and I would be able to raise my kundalini.
Thatt why I ve been practicing yoga for more than a year
November/December 1994 37
 and a half now; I think now I must be ready for such a Do not use your
deep initiation. \With this false notion and false satisfaction,
I arcepted and I stayed there, not knowing what was really
Mastert intention.
intellect to find
Then, to my amazement, the next morning, Master
asked me to go to the guests' rooms to pick up the soiled
the alf.SwefS to
clothes, and wash them in the Ganges. I did not under-
stand why Master gave me that rype of work. You may not God and
even be able to guess about it, because you've been born
into a different type of government and society, different his rnanifestations.
from where I was born. til{hen you are born in an upper-
class caste, you are told not to do any rype of menial work.
I thought, "\7hat is the use of all this washing clothes,
serving others? I came to learn yoga; I came to awaken
kundalini; I came to see God."
But Master had his own way of training; each individual
who comes to the Master has a specific type of fault.
Master saw from the very beginning, from the first time,
my whole problem is ego. Itt extreme. I was egoistic and
stiil I am to a certain extent. So if I was going to go any-
where near to God-realization, I had to break this. From
the very beginning Mastert own training was to break this
one greatest fault in me, my greatest dirt, the ego.

From these early lessons comes the core of Swamiji's

teaching: see God in everJthing and everyone, and serve
them with humility. If you sincerely practice this simple
teaching, slowly your ego will shrink and your heart will
grow.
- \Tithin a year, Swami Sivananda initiated Thanka-
swamy into sanyas as Swami Vishnu-devananda. In
1957, when Swami Vishnu-devananda was 30,
Sivananda sent him to the'West, telling him that people
were waiting there for him. During the next 36 years he
taught thousands of students. He was our guru, just as
Sivananda had been his.
But what is a guru? Sivananda gives the following def-
inition in his book Bliss Diuine.

The Sadguru is Brahman (God) Himself. He

is an ocean of bliss, knowledge, and
mercy. He is the captain of your soul.
He is a fountain of joy. He removes
all your troubles, sorrows and
obstacles. He shows you the right
divine path. He tears your veil of
ignorance. He makes you immor-
tal and divine. He transmutes your
lower diabolic nature. He gives
you the rope of knowledge, and
takes you up when you are drowning
in this ocean of Samsara. Do not consid-
er him to be only a man. If you take him as a
'W'orship
man, you are a beast. your Guru and bow
to him with reverence.

i,fi;;.,Tffii-1,,g.
38 Yogo lnternotionol
 letting the Guru into lly Heart p_aymg attention to him, doing what he said? My practi-
I wish I could say that I felt the instant reverence for cal mind said one thing; my heart said another.
Swamiji that he had felt for Sivananda, but I wouldnt be At New Year's, I went to the ashram for two days. I
telling the truth. He grew on me slowly. I saw him for the decided that if Swamiji asked me to go ro India'one
first time in l97B ar the ashram in Val Morin, Quebec, more time despite all my previous refusals, I would give
during the busy summer season. I d gone to rp..rd th. in. In those two days I saw him several dmes, but it was
weekend and "check out the scene." During morning and as if I wasnt even rhere. Swamiji didn't greet me, or talk
wening satsangSwamiji sat up at the front of the hall and to me, or even mention my name in passing. This was
talked. \flhat he said was interesting, often entertaining, most unusual, and was yery upsetting for-me. \[hat
and always applied to spiritual life. But he was this funny had happened to my personal relationship with him?
litde Indian guy. I respected him for his knowledge, but I Finally it was 1:00 am on New Year's day-The special
certainly didnt feel any reyerence. programs were over and Swamiji was getting ready to
My personal relationship with him began when I met leave. In the morning I was going home wouid.rt
him on the path one day. I didnt have anything to say "nd at the
see him again for a long time. I was standing
to him, but out of respect I pranamed. He smiled and back of a crowd of 50 or 60 people,
pranamed back. That was our entire relationship for the
&.lilg. {epr99y{
and thinking, "Oh
next while, bowing and smiling at each other. He even- well, I guess I'm not
tually learned my name, and would sometimes say a few going to India."
words, but I kept my distance. See God Just then, Swamiji
Then one day, when I was having intense emotional turned and looked
difficulties, I asked if I could speak to him privately, hop- in at me and said,
ing for some advice that would calm my mind and show
me the way out of my predicament. I told him my prob-
lems; he listened and smiled. I could feel both his love for
everlrrhing ;[:{ti:j:[t *:
me and his sympathy for my problems. He explained and everyone,
what I should do and how this advice fit with a yogic life.
I did what he said, and the problems disappeared.l felt a
.mlt*,*
new closeness with Swamiji, a new sensL of a personal
and word to me.
I was totally
relationship with him. But still I couldnt compleiely sur-
render. I held back. lknew what was best for rne.
serve them ffi:*#:X#
In the summer of 1986, Swamiji started planning a thinking? How did
tour of India for the following year to commemorate ihe \Mith he know at that pre-
100th anniversary of Sivananda's birth. He was inviting | .r. cise moment that I
students to go with him. My wife, Madalasa, and I dis- nllmfnty. was ripe to finally
cussed it, and decided she would go and I would stay let go and accept
home and take care of our two chiliren, who were 6 ani him? Though I
11 at the time. It seemed impractical to leave our didnt understand, I felt a great wave of relief and ela-
children with friends and relatives while we tion. I wasnt worried about how it would work out-I
both went offto India for six weeks. knew itwould be OK. Swamiji would make sure of it.
Several times through the summer and tWhat amazes me is
that he had this sarne sorr of person-
fall Swamiji asked me if I was going to al relationship with hundreds of others, and offeied the
India with him. Every time I'd reply, "No, same love, patience, and guidance to each one. He never
Swamiji, Madalasa is going but I have to expected anything in return. He just gave everything he
stay home and take care of the children." could to all who would take it. He was ared, sanyasin.
He seemed to accept my answer, but the
next time he'd see me he'd ask the same guru, Swami Wshnu-d.euananda, in t978. He tooh yoga teacher\
question again. I got fairly frustrated with training tbat lear and ltas been teaching yoga in-Oltawa euer
him. I thought, "These sanyasins, they have no since. He and his wife, Madalasa, run the-siuinanda Yoga Center
in Ottauta.
understanding of family life." He was incredibly persis- The material in this article is extracted from his booh, A ReaI
tent and I was stubbornly resistant. At the same iime I
|llylrin'.Memories of Swami Vishnu-ievananda, to be pub-
was feeling a bit guilty. If he was my teacher, whywasrit I lished in the spring.

Swomi Vshnu-devonondo os o young mon.

was to break rny greatest fault - ego.

November/December 1994 39