About six months after Swami Kriyananda passed from this world, Devi and I had a Nadi reading about our life—past, present, and future. This experience was fascinating on many levels. The pundit who did the reading had only our birth date, time, and place: the standard information needed to cast an astrological chart. Using this, he found in his storage room long, narrow wooden boxes containing ancient Sanskrit writing on palm leaves with readings for each of us.
Swami Kriyananda wrote a small booklet, India’s Ancient Book of Prophecy, about a similar reading he had during the time he lived in India. These profound readings were written many thousands of years ago by sages who were able to transcend the limitations of time. Nadi readings come from the line of Sukhdev, a revered Indian master. The information itself was fascinating, and perhaps I will write about it another time. The purpose of this blog, however, is different.
“Divine Splendor,” by Nayaswami Jyotish.
The reading began by addressing the reason for my present incarnation. It said, “The purpose of this incarnation is moksha (spiritual liberation) and Guru seva.” Other friends who have had readings were told quite different reasons for this life, showing the uniqueness of each individual path. These two, however, are the core energy of my life, and as long as I stay aligned with that intent there will be a flow of energy and grace from the Infinite.
Not everyone is able to have such a reading. However, it would be helpful to introspect and try to feel the core purpose of your own life, the trunk of your particular tree. What motivates and energizes you? Look for themes that have been there since early childhood. For me, there was always a deep and abiding desire to know truth at the deepest level possible. Only later did that core energy eventually lead me to read Autobiography of a Yogi and to meet Swami Kriyananda. As you meditate, try to feel the essential aspiration of your life.
Once you have a sense of your purpose, it is important to honor it and allow it to guide your major life choices. As long as you stay aligned to your core purpose, the forms in which it will be expressed will reveal themselves. Those who stray from their essential vibration never seem to feel settled in anything they do.
The driving force of Swami Kriyananda’s life was his discipleship to Yogananda. When he read Autobiography of a Yogi as a young man, it awakened in him his life direction. As he traveled from New York to California in 1948 to meet Yogananda for the first time, he said his predominant thought was, “I want to find God, and I want to share Him with everyone.”
As I write this, it’s the seventy-fifth anniversary of Swami Kriyananda’s meeting his guru. His first words that day were, “I want to be your disciple.” This was his essence, and his life became a creative expression of that intention.
Groups, too, have a core purpose. To a certain extent the purpose of my life—moksha and Guru seva—are shared by many who have been drawn to Ananda. Many of us feel that we incarnated in order to find God and to help Paramhansa Yogananda and Swami Kriyananda with their mission in this age.
There is a great power and grace that flows to those who stay attuned to this particular ray. This is not meant to be exclusive. There are many true paths, and even among the disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda there are several different valid groups, each with its own basic vibration and purpose. Master, in this case, is the trunk and each group is a different branch.
My friends, I urge you to take some time to clarify your life’s purpose. All else will follow naturally.
In divine friendship,
Nayaswami Jyotish
Listen to Jyotish as he first reads the blog, then expands on its meaning and messages for readers with behind-the-blog commentary. Subscribe to the podcast or download the audio recording by right-clicking here. Or listen to it here (8:23):
21 Comments
Sounds very true and practical
Grazie per questa interessante condivisione ,che chiarisce in modo semplice ed efficace : Lo scopo della nostra vita .
Immensa gratitudine.
Thank you! I found this path in 1991. Hope you reach liberation soon. Bless you,thank you,white light and love!
Bless you my brother.
Thanks for your words of wisdom and encouragement.
Hari Om Tat Sat. Have a blessed journey to India, Divine Friend!
Thank you, Jyotish. Great timing as that is exactly how I spent this week, in semi-seclusion, reflecting, attuning, and meditating on this subject. How blessed to be able to take the time to do this!
Dear Jyotish,
This was such an inspiring and hope filled blog. At this point in my life, whether professed or not , is ever deepening Guru Seva. I have been blessed by this Path, Swamiji, and all of you who have shone the way to freedom through meditation, service, and Joy.
By the grace of God and guru we all will be together again.
Blessings,
H
Thank you dear soul. As always seems to happen, your blogs seem to focus on what I most need NOW, and making the effort to achieve it. I feel a need to dive deeper into this question. Why AM I here? What am I supposed to be doing to fulfill my purpose. The EGO so deeply complicates a clear under-standing of the answer. The clarion call for me is Master’s admonition…”NEVER GIVE UP”. i WON’T!!
Namaste
Thank you, Jyotish. Yes, a wise person who knows his or her Self to be limitless Awareness should keep the mind constantly united with Awareness. Abiding in the Self means never forgetting the fact that “I am limitless, whole, and complete, actionless Awareness.” Awareness, Consciousness, or Self was never bound. It is always free, for freedom or liberation is not something you become, but the essential nature of what you already are. Liberation means the removal of ignorance by true Self-Knowledge. It is the recognition of our true essential nature that doesn’t share the limitations of the mind and body. Moksha (liberation) liberates us from the belief that we are a separate, limited, finite consciousness. And we don’t have to wait for our life to end before we become liberated. Be liberated here and now. Liberation is the recognition of our true nature which results in the establishment of our true essential Self in every experience.
Hi Stephen. Nice to see that you too are with Ananda. You don´t know me but many of us here in Spain still remember the fabulous TV program (many years ago) directed by Jesús Gracia, about you and Dr. Khan.
I hope you are fine and wish you the very best!
Thank Stephen, it sounds like relatively easy to say once one have read or studied the basics of Yoga, even though still hard to achieve. The Path is long and sinuous , I am noticing , however I’ve received the Grace of being introduced to my Guru whom I had had the intuition about Him
I do appreciate your kind assistance as well. Beautiful is what Jyotish newsletter’s (and Devis’) produce in all us.
Have a great time?
Thank you once again, my dear Jyotish. As it has happened before, this message arrived when it was most needed. I have no doubts that Kriyananda is very happy with your work toward others.
God bless you!
“we incarnated in order to find God”
HARI OM
THAT SENTENCE DOESN’T MAKE SENSE TO ME BECAUSE IN THE SPIRIT WORLD YOU ARE WITH GOD, AND WHEN YOU COME TO THIS MATERIAL WORLD IN FLESH THIS THE LAST PLACE TO COME LOOK FOR GOD.
BUT OF COURSE WE’RE ALL CONNECTED TO THE GREATEST SPIRIT AND GOD IS PART OF OUR SOULS. SO IN THE FLESH WE SAY GOD IS IN US, MEANING IN OUR SOUL/SPIRIT.
THANKS FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO TO HELP MAKE THIS A BETTER WORLD AND TEACH PEOPLE TO CONNECT W/ THE GREAT SPIRIT. BLESSINGS.
HARI OM SHANTI
SAT NAM
Dear Jyotishji,
Your life has been and is a guiding light and tangible example of Master and Swamiji’s teachings and way of life – one that has clear purpose and is filled with divine love. I am forever grateful for you always pointing the way (by example and words) toward freedom in God.
In Master’s love,
Devalila
Me too, but not just if Jyotish and Devi but of you all, Great Souls, having met you I consider it is and keeps being a big present of God.
🙏🏻Jay Guru!
What an enlightened life to be all the time attuned to God and Guru and spending whole life in service to the Master and his purpose.
Om Guru! 🕉 shanti
Thank you, Jyotishji
Perfect message for me at this time— having recently dreamed about Master twice in the same week. The first one he was playing a unique stringed instrument- my life’s work has been primarily in music.. and the second there were Master and 2 others having a meeting of some sort. I didn’t think twice about entering into it (!?!) and was greeted with a long embrace by Master. The nice thing is… I was not only passing through, but stayed a good while and was able to feel I was a valued participant. Amazing! At some point I was talking to one of the other 2 and realized it was Swami. The third man had striking features.. a square jaw and face, with nice hair- short but flowing – I don’t know who it was. But am going through some urgent lessons that I don’t care to put off any longer, so am diving in with gusto ( just trying to avoid the sharks lol) a crash course of sorts (I’m almost 68 and want to make sure I’m not waistng even a pinch of time👍) the truth is a fervent desire for me and there is so much fodder now with science finally meeting head to head with consciousness and spiritual awakening – mathematical/moral perfection!- and so much to learn and take in (for example) with AI ( my basic thought being a welcome to AI who learns from the universal feedback looping like all of nature.. so intelligence is benevolence – progressive only! and we are safe in the arms of love. As for your timely message to Me, Master was playing music- that’s me- always has been . I am to be in harmony with him . I am in constant gratitude and amazed beyond anything I could ever have imagined to be witnessing this explosion of intelligence and unification in the world today. We are all one beautiful heart- entangled lol💕🌈
Amazing!
Dear Nayaswami Jyotish Ji,
Thank you for sharing this wonderful blog… A great reminder that would help us to be aligned to our goals
Joy,
Prem
Dear Jyotish, one of your very best newsletters.. now, I wonder if I asked you ( or my teacher Devalila) how could I discover the purpose of my life, your (and hers) reply would by: practise meditation. I promise I will do it. Thanks once again!
Dearest Jyotish,
Thank you!
Just today I was asking myself this same query and asking for Master’s guidance.
As I recall my childhood, the thing that stands out for me is a deep desire to know God; to be with God; to be close to God. That was when I felt the happiest, was when I was communing with God/Jesus in church as a kid growing up.
I recently finished watching The Chosen, which is a beautifully done free series about the life and ministry of Jesus as he finds, and calls to him, his disciples.
I can only imagine that it must have been like that for Swamiji too; being “called” to Master through reading the AY, to be Master’s disciple. What an incredible gift! What an incredible example for us!
Being coherent and congruent with the goal of this lifetime is why I am here.
May we all continue, as a community of devotees, to harness the Light, feeding our cells with that Light, and may we share it with the world to uplift human consciousness.
AUM, Peace, AMEN