Commemoration services for the YSS gurus are deeply spiritual occasions.
On September 26 and 30, 2018, the commemorations of Mahasamadhi Divas and Avirbhav Divas of Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya were marked with special programmes across YSS. Comprising of group meditation, chanting, satsanga by YSS sannyasis, pushpanjali and prasad, the special days drew devotees from across NCR to YSS Noida Ashram, Delhi and Gurugram Kendra.
Lahiri Mahasaya was born on September 30, 1828, in the village of Ghurni in Bengal, India. At the age of thirty-three, while walking one day in the Himalayan foothills near Ranikhet, he met his guru, Mahavatar Babaji. It was a divine reunion of two who had been together in many lives past; at an awakening touch of blessing, Lahiri Mahasaya became engulfed in a spiritual aura of divine realization that was never to leave him.
'Yogavatar' Lahiri Mahasaya entered mahasamadhi in Banaras, September 26, 1895. Fifty years later, in America, his prediction was fulfilled when an increasing interest in yoga in the West inspired Paramahansa Yogananda to write Autobiography of a Yogi, which contains a beautiful account of Lahiri Mahasaya's life.
YSS Noida Ashram
On September 26, Swami Lalitanandaji started by drawing the attention of the devotees to the importance of days such as this, and how on these days we can feel and absorb the vibrations and blessings of the Guru who is being remembered.
Swamiji read out from Gurudeva Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda's world-bestselling spiritual classic the Autobiography of a Yogi, narrating the incident wherein Swami Sri Yukteswarji met Mahavatar Babaji at the Kumbha Mela in Allahabad in January 1894. Babaji had sent a message to Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya through Yukteswarji about his approaching Mahasamadhi.
After reading the relevant passages where the reactions of Lahiri Mahasaya has been recounted after hearing this message, Swamiji explained how the lives of the great avatars are a divine drama played for the benefit of others, and how they play this drama exactly as God wants them to.
At the conclusion of his satsanga, Swamiji read out about the appearance of Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya on the day following his cremation - describing how the great guru appeared simultaneously in three different cities, in front of three disciples - in flesh and blood. Lahiri Mahasaya had completely conquered the inevitable event which comes to all of us at the end of our lives.
On September 30, Swami Lalitanandaji led the commemoration satsanga after the Gita discourse by Swami Smarananandaji. He took the devotees through the factual details of Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya’s life – his birth, parents, childhood up to his 33rd year when the purpose of his incarnation started unfolding.
Swamiji touched upon the sacred moment of the initiation of Lahiri Mahasaya into Kriya Yoga, and his subsequent plea to Mahavtar Babaji, to relax the rules pertaining to the initiation into the science of Kriya Yoga, thus benefitting the entire human race. Reminding those present that this is how it was made possible for the lost science of Kriya Yoga to flow into the world like the celestial Ganges brought down from heaven. He stressed the fact that as devotees we owe it to the great param-paramguru Lahiri Mahasaya that we can receive the knowledge of Kriya Yoga and benefit from it.
He went on to show the stature of the Great Guru by reading a few passages from the Autobiography of a Yogi which showed the Guru’s omnipresence and omnipotence, and elucidated how his protection is ever present to those who practice Kriya Yoga.
Swamiji pointed out the tremendous blessing of having been drawn to the feet of such a line of self-realized masters, and that it is for us to consolidate this great blessing by practising the sacred teachings bestowed on us by these Great Ones.
The programme was followed by aarati by Swamiji. Devotees offered pushpanjali while singing bhajans serenading the Gurus.
Guru Langar was served to all present on the special occasion.
YSS Delhi Kendra
Delhi Kendra commemorated the Mahasamadhi Divas of Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya on September 26 from 5 pm to 7 pm. Brahmachari Sheelanandaji conducted the satsanga.
Beginning with a prayer and chanting Gurudeva's cosmic chant 'Door of My Heart', he created a devotional atmosphere leading devotees into a brief meditation session of around 25 minutes.
In the satsanga that followed, Brahmachariji reminded devotees that such days of commemoration offered a golden opportunity to introspect upon what we are and what we want to become. He urged the devotees to practice Guru-given techniques with enthusiasm. While practising the techniques, the mind should be full of desire for God, and an intense craving for the Divine. To reach God is our goal while techniques are forms of sadhana.
Brahmachariji said that it should be our endeavour to reach the state where Lahiri Mahasaya was - wherein divinity was visible on his face giving away the bliss that he was in. He is the Yogavatar as his soul is fully absorbed in Spirit. Even though our standard is not as high as Lahiri Mahasaya's, if we absorb certain divine qualities, God can still express Himself through us in some way.
Brahmachraiji said that practising the feeling of Divine love was very important - a love that can be felt but cannot be defined or described. He urged the devotees to try and fill their hearts with love for God. Divine love is changeless under any circumstance.
He quoted Sri Sri Daya Mata by saying that when we leave our body and go back, Divine Mother will ask only two questions - how much have we loved her and how much have we given that love to others.
Then, he expounded on the need to balance reason in men and feelings in women to help each other and also for self-development. He also said that it was necessary to have friendliness in all relations. He reminded all that along with truthfulness and closeness, we must also be thoughtful.
The satsanga left a deep impression on everyone's mind.
The satsanga was followed by aarati and pushpanjali.
Even though it was a weekday, more than 200 devotees had come and they enjoyed halwa prasad distributed by Swamiji.
YSS Gurugram Kendra
On the occasion of Mahasamadhi of Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya, Swami Sadanandaji conducted satsanga followed by pushpanjali on September 26, from 5 pm to 7 pm at YSS Gurugram Kendra. More than 60 devotees participated.
The Avirbhav Divas of Sri Sri Lahiri Mahasaya was celebrated at Gurugram Kendra on the evening of September 30 with meditation and pushpanjali. More than 40 devotees participated.
