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Rikhia Agaman
Rikhia Agaman
Rikhia Agaman
All
All Roads
Roads Lead
Lead to
to Rikhia
Rikhia -- Consecrated
Consecrated Land
Land
Amrit Lahari
Rikhiapeeth,
Rikhiapeeth, Jharkhand,
Jharkhand, India
India
RIKHIA AGAMAN
Published by Rikhiapeeth
First edition 2023
Website: www.rikhiapeeth.in
v
Swami Sivananda Saraswati
Swami Sivananda Saraswati of Rishikesh is the inspirer of the
Bihar Yoga tradition. A great spiritual luminary of the 20th
century, Swami Sivananda developed yoga as a practical,
integrated subject which everyone could apply in their
lives. He wrote hundreds of books and articles on yoga and
spirituality to maintain and introduce yogic values in the
minds of the general public. His emphasis was on bringing
the spiritual and yogic teachings to all without distinction.
Embodying the spirit of service to humanity, he inspired
and guided thousands of spiritual seekers to practise yoga
and lead a divine life. Swami Sivananda inspired research
into the ancient traditions to investigate the benefits of
yoga for the development of the human personality, thus
instigating the integration of traditional yogic wisdom with
modern scientific knowledge. His eightfold path: serve, love,
give, purify, meditate, realize, be good, do good, became a
roadmap for spiritual aspirants worldwide. Today his light
spreads far and wide for the spiritual upliftment of everyone,
everywhere.
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Swami Satyananda Saraswati, was entrusted by his Guru
Swami Sivananda with the mission of spreading yoga from
door to door and from shore to shore. Swami Satyananda
Saraswati became the foremost inspirer of yoga in the 20th
century. In 1963, he founded the Bihar School of Yoga to
impart yogic training to all. He authored many major texts
on yoga, tantra and spiritual life, which are now accepted as
textbooks in schools and universities throughout the world.
A modern day sage and visionary, he established yoga as part
of mainstream society, making the ancient systems of tantra
and yoga accessible to people of all faiths and nationalities for
physical, mental, emotional and spiritual evolution. In 1988 he
renounced his mission, and in 1989 he came to Rikhia to live the
life of a paramahansa sannyasin. With the sankalpa of peace,
plenty and prosperity for all, he performed long and arduous
yogic sadhanas, thus inspiring sannyasins and householders
in their spiritual journey to develop a universal vision. In 2009,
he wilfully entered into Maha Samadhi at midnight on the 5th
December and merged into Siva consciousness.
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati continues his Guru's
mission of spreading yoga around the world. He joined the
Bihar School of Yoga in 1964 at the age of four, and as President
guided the activities of BSY from 1983 to 2008. Initiated as a
paramahansa sannyasin at the age of thirty, he was anointed
preceptor in succession to Swami Satyananda by the leading
luminaries of the sannyasa tradition in 1993. Author of
many classical books on yoga, tantra and the Upanishads,
Swami Niranjanananda toured extensively nationally and
internationally. Swami Niranjanananda is a magnetic source
of wisdom on all aspects of yogic philosophy, practice and
lifestyle. In 2008 he relinquished the presidency of the Bihar
School of Yoga and all institutional responsibilities. Before his
Maha Samadhi in 2009, Sri Swami Satyananda gave Swami
Niranjanananda the mandate to explore the sannyasa lifestyle
and to revive and expound the classical yoga vidya. In 2017,
he was awarded the third highest civilian award of India, the
Padma Bhushan, by the President of the Republic of India
for meritorious work in yoga.
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati, also known as Swami
Satsangi, is the Peethadhishwari of Rikhiapeeth as appointed
by Swami Satyananda. From the age of twenty-two, she
experienced a series of inner awakenings which led her to
her Guru, Swami Satyananda. She was initiated into the
Dashnami tradition of sannyasa on 6 July 1982 at Ganga
Darshan, Munger. Thereafter she travelled extensively
with Swami Satyananda on his tours in India and abroad
which gave her immense exposure and contributed to
her development into a scholar with deep insight into the
yogic and tantric traditions as well as modern sciences and
philosophies. A truly inspirational teacher and gifted writer,
Swami Satyasangananda is the author of major texts on
yoga and tantra. As the Peethadhishwari of Rikhiapeeth, she
received the mandate from her Guru Swami Satyananda to
implement Sri Swami Sivananda’s three precepts of serve, love
and give and she works tirelessly for the material and spiritual
upliftment of the local community. She travels nationally and
internationally carrying the light of her Guru’s teachings to all.
Offering
xii
Contents
MY GURU HAS SHOWN ME THE PATH xv
PREFACE xvii
PART I: RIKHIA AGAMAN
1. Following God’s Mandate 3
2. Humble Beginnings 19
3. Deoghar: The Abode of Siva 21
4. Temple of the People 25
5. Village Life: Santhal Pargana 33
6. Rikhia the Tapobhumi: Panchagni 41
7. Darshan Purnima 49
8. Sankalpa of a Paramahansa 52
9. Swamiji’s Constant Companion 55
10. Constant Companion 57
11. Shri Panchadashnaam Paramahansa Alakh Bara 61
12. Paramahansa Alakh Bara 66
13. Tulsi: The Presiding Deity 69
14. Tulsi 77
15. Ganesha 79
16. Ganesha lives at Rikhiapeeth 85
17. Rikhia Is My Airport 89
PART II: FEASTING ON MEMORIES
18. Feasting on Memories 95
19.The Moment of Agaman 110
PART III: VISION OF RIKHIA
20. Vision of Rikhia 127
21. Sankalpa 142
22. Seva as Sadhana 144
xiii
xiv
My Guru Has Shown Me the Path
My Guru has shown me the path
He desired my body,
I gave it to him unflinchingly.
He asked me for my prana,
I offered it unhesitatingly
He said, “Will you give me your mind too?”
I replied, “It is yours forever.”
I was left with nothing,
Empty and desolate.
The dark blue sky, dotted with stars, and the moon,
That was all I had now.
Then all at once
The sun burst upon me with a song.
The restless ocean bathed me with its waves,
The thundering clouds burst upon me with rain,
The snow white swan danced before my soul.
My Guru came to me once again.
He said, “Will you give me the samskaras you have collected
life after life?”
xv
Preface
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
Peethadhishwari, Rikhiapeeth
xvii
Rikhia Agaman means the arrival of a Rishi to the land of the
Rishis. At one time Rishis may have lived here because this
was all forest. Sannyasins and sadhus like to live in forests
with nature. So Rikhia Agaman is the arrival of a Rishi. Rishi
is a seer, a Rishi is a scientist. A Rishi has a vision and a Rishi
is able to manifest that vision.
Namo Narayan
xviii
This land has a destiny. Like each of us has a destiny, the
land also has a destiny, and that destiny unfolds at the right
time, at the right place, at the right moment and by the right
person. Just as it did for Rikhia by Sri Swamiji setting foot
on this land.
xix
PART I
Rikhia Agaman
1
.
Following God’s Mandate
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
3
1963 to return and seek further enlightenment, renouncing
all I achieve or accomplish in the propagation of yoga.
Fulfilling a Promise
In 1988 I left Munger and visited a number of Siddhapeethas.
I had made a promise that when my work for the propagation
of yoga was over, I would leave. Not because of vairagya, I
have great faith in my Guru and his guidance.
4
5
years ago. I have chosen to stay in a ‘goshala’ at the foot of Neel
Parvat, in a small room eight foot by eight foot, representing
everything ancient in structure, purity and simplicity.
6
The Hansa Has Flown Away
The hansa has flown away
Soaring with its wings spread
Across the infinite sky.
It is searching for its ultimate abode
Since many yugas.
Knowledge it has received in abundance
From the jnanis of the world.
Grace and blessings from the divine too.
Still today it is restlessly flapping
Its wings in search.
Looking down at its own creation
Of the three worlds
Etched across the horizon,
Yes, it is flying high
And flying ceaselessly in search,
Witnessing the world down below as leela
Alone, all alone, in the infinite sky
My soul is flying to unite with its beloved.
7
I was alone. I sat down in the middle of the night, and
gradually my mind sank and I lost consciousness. Then
a storm came, a cyclone, thunder, rain, and lightning. I
experienced it all within me. Within or without is all the same,
it is just a concept. I am talking in terms of time and space. I
am not talking in terms of the body or the individual.
8
So here began the next chapter of my life. Just as I gave my
whole self to the accomplishment of His previous command
to ‘spread Yoga from door to door and shore to shore’ I also
plunged deep into all that was required of me to perfect
my new mission. The past is dead and gone. Human as I
am, I may travel back into the past and circumstances may
compel me to accept associations with those with whom I
had interacted before. That too is His will. But my personal
endeavours will be to break away from the past and fulfil the
mission given to me by Lord Mrityunjaya.
God’s Mandate
On 8th of September, the birthday of my Guru, a question
which was haunting my mind from time to time was
answered. Where do I fulfil my next mission?
9
ground. At once, I understood the meaning of what I had
heard. It was a clear instruction that I was to go to a cremation
ground.
So, I did not choose Rikhia. God gave me this place. I had
never thought of this place. I did not leave the ashram and
decide to come here by my own choice, nor am I doing
anything by my own desire.
10
This place is very near to Munger; I wanted to go away from
Munger where they would not even get the faintest whiff of
my scent.
11
I had given her a broad idea of the chitabhumao, which is a
very large area. Who could find the shirish and palash trees
that I had seen in the vision, in an area the size of Deoghar?
She arrived in Deoghar and stayed in a hotel where she
resolved to consult a knowledgeable priest the next day and
try to find the spot with his help.
At that time Rikhia was like the forgotten land. Barren and
pure. Simple and divine. Swami Satsangi was led to the land
ordained for me by Siva and she immediately recognised it
as the place and she had the land registered the same day.
On the 14th, I received the news that the property had been
acquired and I could leave Trayambakeshwar. I was far away
in the south-west of India.
12
Things happened on their own. That evening I performed the
poornahuti for the fulfilment of my prayers and the revelation
of a divine place and a clear cut path, just as Bihar School of
Yoga and Ganga Darshan had been revealed to me twenty-five
years ago in the same place by the same Lord Mrityunjaya.
13
14
Rikhia Agaman
I arrived here in Rikhia on the 23rd September, 1989 at
twelve o’clock, midday. It was the day of the equinox, when
everything is in perfect balance; day and night are both
exactly twelve hours long.
15
Living for Others
I wanted to retire and live quietly in solitude. I did not
want to meet anyone, and even now I do not want to meet
anyone. The whole world can complain about me. I do not
mind. Initially disciples used to scale the walls and come in
uninvited also. That is why I keep Bholenath. Everyone here
has been stamped by him.
We are all selfish, not selfless, and the path to God proceeds
from selflessness. Generosity doesn’t proceed from selfishness.
There is only one way traffic on this route. Whatever spiritual
path we follow, it must be a path of selflessness, and this has
been said in all the scriptures.
16
‘Atmanipashyanti bhutani’ which means seeing the Self in all
and all in the Self as one Brahman. This has been written in the
Gita, Upanishads and Vedas and the rishis and munis have
said the same thing. Atmabhava means to feel the experience
of others as my own experience. The sorrow and sufferings of
others, the death of somebody unknown to me, the problems
of families who are strangers to me, are all felt as my own.
17
18
Humble Beginnings
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
19
daily Panchagni. Every morning the entire area of Swamiji’s
Panchagni was smeared with ’lipai’ of cow dung, making it
fresh and clean for the day.
20
Deoghar - The Abode of Siva
An Ideal Place for Swamiji
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
21
The climate at Deoghar is dry and congenial and this
place is considered a health resort due to the good air and
environment. Perfect for the sadhana Swamiji was to embark
upon.
22
Baba Baidyanath heals all the ills of life, whether physical,
emotional, psychic or spiritual.
23
Swami Satyananda at Basukinath, 1989
24
Temple of the People
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Shravan Mela
During the month of Shravan, which falls during July and
August, the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor walk
barefoot 104 kilometres to Deoghar from Sultanganj, which
is situated on the banks of the Ganga. Millions of people, old
and young, men and women, come here on foot.
25
with each step throughout the journey until they reach the
temple. It takes a long time, maybe a few months for them
to reach here. People suffering from incurable diseases take
this observance. This is austerity, or tapasya, perhaps it is
like a purgatory.
26
Swami Satyasangananda performing aradhana at Sri Vidyapeeth, Deoghar
27
Deoghar is the cremation ground of Devi, the place where
her heart fell millions of years ago. It is also the birthplace
of a new Devi. The message for the awakening of women
will go out from here.
Panchagni
Usually Panchagni is done in burial grounds, that is the usual
law and system. According to the traditions in India, there are
two places that are known as burial grounds. One is Deoghar
and another is Varanasi. That is also called Chittabhumau and
this is also called Chitabhumao. This is the burial ground of
Sati and that is the burial ground of Siva. These are the two
places where Panchagni has to be done.
28
Legends of Deoghar Temple
The legends about the Deoghar Siva temple are various. One
legend is that in the Treta Yuga the demon Ravana, King of
Lanka, propitiated Lord Mahadeva and wanted him to come
over to Lanka. Mahadeva did not agree to this prayer but
told Ravana that one of the twelve emblems of His divinity,
Jyotirlingam, would be quite as effective as His presence and
that he may take it away on the condition that there should
be no break in the journey and the lingam would not be
deposited anywhere on the earth. The condition was that if
the lingam was put anywhere on the earth in the course of
the journey, it would be fixed to that spot forever.
The legend says that Ravana agreed to this condition, took the
lingam and started the journey to Lanka. The Gods dreaded
29
the effect of the lingam being established at the seat of a
demon king. A ruse was devised by Varuna, the God of the
waters, entered the stomach of Ravana and the demon had
to descend to earth to relieve himself. Later, Vishnu, in the
garb of an old Brahmin, appeared before Ravana, after his
descend to the earth, and began to converse with him. Ravana
requested the Brahmin to kindly hold the Jyotirlingam for a
few minutes so that he could relieve himself. Lord Vishnu
readily agreed to it and, as soon as Ravana turned his back
to relieve himself, he left the Jyotirlingam on the spot and
vanished.
30
31
.
Village Life: Santhal Pargana
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
33
The Santhalis are simple and nice people. Their king wasn’t
a Santhali; he was a follower of Vedic religion, like Rama,
Krishna, Harish Chandra and others. Baba Baidyanath Dham
is a Santhali temple, but the Ganga water is brought from
Sultanganj, which is outside the Santhali jurisdiction. This is
regarded as a symbol of unity, because Sultanganj falls within
the territory of Anga. People bring Ganga water from there
and offer it here. The priest here comes from Mithila. All this
is a symbol of unity, what you call equanimity.
34
The Santhalis are my neighbours. They are good people who
suffer from ignorance, illiteracy, helplessness and disease.
They are poor but loving; they have big hearts and small
bank balances. I know the villagers for eight to ten kilometres
around me, and they do everything for me. My neighbours
have been associated with the Akhara since its inception,
and over the years have worked ceaselessly to construct the
ashram.
35
Another surprising thing is that every building you see in
the Alakh Bara has been constructed by local people residing
within a two kilometre radius. Swami Satsangi has not even
called anybody from Deoghar. The electricity, carpentry,
civil engineering, preparation of land and planting the trees
has all been done by them. Of course, they are being paid for
that. We have local people who can construct anything. This
kutir where I live, which is constructed entirely out of mud
with a thatched roof, is an environmentally friendly house.
36
The Santhalis are intelligent and skilled, honest and
hardworking, but very independent. They are known to be
simple, and peace-loving. Mostly they rely on physical labour
for a living. They do not pilfer or shirk work. Because of their
character the quality of their work is superior, neat and clean.
We never have to worry whether or not they will turn up
when required. That is why we hold them in high esteem.
My arrival has made a substantial change in their destiny.
37
Village Life
All around me there are villages. They like me very much,
because they find that I am even poorer than them. This is
a great solace to them, because they at least have one dhoti,
but I do not even have that. I can live with them in much the
same way as they live themselves. However, if I were to live
with them like a rich man, then they would be jealous of me.
We have established a relationship with these rural people.
38
The women of the villages are very sweet, they have
environmental control, without being taught or told, they
use branches of the trees and cow dung for fire.
When you are in a rural area, wherever you are, you should
think about living a very natural life. A good life, smooth
life, but you should also think of generating wealth for the
people around. That is a very important part, a very important
contribution to the society. I do not consider my work as
charity, because these people are like my family.
39
Ode to Mrityunjaya
Om Namo Narayanaya
O Lord Mritiunjaya!
I have worshipped you
As Kaal Bhairava with one tattwa
As kaamakshi with five tattwas
As Vishnu with flowers, fruits, water and milk.
In many forms, in many ways
And in many places
I have worshipped whatever form
You have revealed to me as your own image.
And now, at your burial ground
I will worship you with every breath.
This I promise.
40
Rikhia the Tapobhumi:
Panchagni
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
This only happens by the grace of God. Why me? I had a lot
of weaknesses - desire, anger, greed, ego and attachment.
These are the five fires inside the subtle body which dry up
the being of a person.
To avoid these fires and to face these fires are two different
things. I did not avoid them; I faced them and faced them well.
I faced them strongly but sometimes I felt as if I would slip.
A person who can face these five inner fires, he alone can face
the five external fires. Otherwise a sadhaka doing Panchagni
sadhana commits suicide because thereafter one really does
not survive. The best way to die is in Panchagni sadhana. It
really isn’t necessary to get your head cut off, just do Panchagni.
41
temperature goes beyond twenty or twenty-one degrees. So
I lost hope of surviving when the mercury touched ninety
degrees. But somehow I survived.
42
The Five Fires
The five external fires represent the five inner fires, the inner
state which we all have to face. That too I have faced during
my lifetime. I think you too are facing it, but perhaps you lose
the battle by falling sick. Do you know what the five internal
fires are? Kaama, desire; kroddha, anger; lobha, greed; moha,
attachment; mada, pride. These are the five fires raging inside
all of you, and you are doing Panchagni without knowing it.
The fire is raging within you. We are all burning.
43
I was scared of Panchagni because I could not bear even
one fire. For me 25 degrees Centigrade was too high a
temperature. Although I could easily tolerate the cold, even
as low as 3 degrees Centigrade. I could remain naked even
in Denmark, but heat I could not tolerate. I had to decide
whether or not I could do the Panchagni tapas, the five fires
authority. I thought that if I faced the five fires and could not
bear the heat, then I would become dehydrated and sick. Then
another thought came to my mind. Tulsi, a type of basil, is
the best medicinal plant, so I chose Tulsi to be my presiding
deity, my Ishta Devi, and I started practicing pooja, worship,
of Tulsi, according to the tantric system. I decided that Tulsi
would be the presiding deity of the Akhara and then I started
practicing Panchagni.
44
I was able to do it only because of the blessings of Tulsi.
I prayed to her for one thing only. I said, “Keep me fit,
that’s all, nothing else,” because I did not want to miss
this anushthan, even for one day, and I did not miss it. It
is not with pride but with gratitude that I say, since I have
come here I have not missed even one day of whatever
sadhana I have undertaken. I am not a young man, I have
snowy beard, but I can sit for ten to twelve hours without
any problems, no pain in the joints, no diabetes, no blood
pressure, no angina, no headache, no cold or fever. This is
all the miracle of Tulsi. I didn’t pray to Tulsi for money, an
ashram, magical arts, erudition, siddhis or yogic powers. I
prayed only for health and fitness.
The first year I started the fire outside. The next year I took
it in four directions: east, west, south and north. I am in the
centre and the sun is overhead. Nobody can come into the
compound at that time. If anybody comes and meets me, it is
a violation. In the beginning it was difficult, because people
used to come and bash at the gate, and I would have to come
out and meet them. Finally, Bholenath came into the picture.
He sits in the mandap, and if anybody comes, he gives me
warning. Then he goes for him, and that person leaves very
fast. Now nobody comes.
Celestial Fires
I had to decide how many years I would practice this
Panchagni sadhana, for five years, twelve years of for life. I
decided on five years and made a sankalpa. After this, the
internal fire is extended.
45
When you perform yoga practices like pranayama, you
develop that celestial fire within your body.
This is a very ancient practice which all cannot and should not
try to do; it is not permitted. When desires become weak, when
passions become very weak, when you don’t want anything
from anyone for any purpose, and can manage just with one
meal and little sleep, then you can practice this sadhana.
46
One day, the temperature rose up to ninety degrees Celsius.
I have a thermometer which is also used in the bread oven.
That day the wind was blowing. Sixty degrees is normal. In
the early morning when the sun rises, it is thirty degrees. So
from sunrise, I seat for three hours, then take a bath. Then
again at midday, I sit when the sun is descending.
47
The main rule is that you are not to meet people. Complete
solitude is required. Special bhasma or ash is prepared and
applied. Such bhasma is called Maha bhasma and is made
of pure cow dung cakes and reeds.
However intelligent a man may be, if he goes into the coal pit
he will have black marks on him. I cannot say that I have come
out untainted. Therefore, I had to do Panchagni to cleanse
myself. Everyone has to do penance. I did it for more than
five years. Now I will sit in bliss.
48
Darshan Purnima –
Paramahansaji’s Supersonic
Flight Take Off
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
49
It was a highly charged atmosphere that day. In total silence
devotees walked through Paramahansaji’s tapobhumi
bowing before the Trishul in front of his Panchagni. That day
the sleepy villages of Rikhia came alive with people from all
over the world.
50
51
Sankalpa of a Paramahansa
Peethadhishwari Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
52
A Paramahansa is simultaneously aware of both external
as well as internal events and experiences, having complete
control over both dimensions of awareness with the same
intensity, focus, clarity, attention and memory. In other
words, even in the deepest state of meditation, a Paramahansa
can know the minutest detail of what is happening externally.
One can easily say that a Paramahansa is one who has
mastered the dual awareness.
53
54
Swamiji’s Constant Companion
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
55
Sri Swamiji was done through Bholenath Readymade Store,
which believe it or not was this wonderful dog’s creation.
It was always full! When we had distributed everything,
I would go there and check that it was completely empty,
to inform Swamiji that we have distributed each and every
thing to the villagers. By evening there used to be another
truckload and it used to fill up again immediately. And it
is like that until today, the Bholenath Readymade Store is
always full. Even today the grace is flowing – that is how
auspicious Swamiji’s companion was.
56
Constant Companion
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
57
When I used to sit for long hours in Panchagni, with
temperatures soaring to 100 degrees Centigrade, he used to
sit by my side. He never left my side, no matter how hot or
uncomfortable it was. He used to smear himself with bhasma,
wear a rudraksha, and sit with me. You can say that he was
a witness to the Panchagni sadhana I did in Rikhia.
58
of Siva is Nandi and the vehicle of Vishnu is Garuda, in the
same way, in the tantric tradition a dog represents Bhairava.
He represents that aspect of tantra which is esoteric.
59
state of being in spiritual life where you produce a sound
without knowing it or hearing it. Sometimes, you cry out in
dreams, don’t you? Many times you cry out loud in dreams,
but you don’t know that you are crying. So, what do you call
it? Bhairava.
60
Sri Panchadashnaam
Paramahansa Alakh Bara
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
First of all there were no roads and even if visitors made it here
they found the gates closed as Sri Swamiji was in sadhana.
Villagers were in and out but as he had renounced Gurudom
and all associations of the past even disciples could not enter as
he was entering into the life of a Paramahansa, and his sadhana
of Naam Smaran. It truly was an invisible home.
61
A little while after Sukhman Marhi came up on the opposite
side of the road and much to the joy of devotees a Darshan
Manch was made for them to climb up and have a glimpse
of the tapobhumi.
62
As the saying goes -
“Sada Bhawani dahini
Sanmukh rahe Ganesh
Panch Dev raksha kare
Brahma Vishnu Mahesh.”
63
Parna Kutir, 1990
Then he lit the first fire, which he called the Maha Kaal Chita
Dhuni. There the tapasvi sat in hail, rain or storm immersed in
mantra. Seeing the frequency of rains and stormy conditions
a small open thatched shed was made for him just behind the
dhuni so that his sadhana would go undisturbed beside the fire.
Each morning at 4am when it was still dark the sound of Sri
Swamiji’s damaru would be heard which signalled he was
seated in sadhana. He would be up much before that bathing
in cold water and preparing for the long hours of sadhana
which he did each day. Gradually Paramahansa Alakh Bara
transported itself to the Vedic times and truly became the
land of Rishis.
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Rikhia, 1989
Akhara, 1991
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Paramahansa Alakh Bara
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
The ashram is the best place for foreigners to live; they find a
detached community, an opportunity to do kirtans, bhajans
and sadhana, work to do and food to eat. In the past, ashram
rules were framed for Indian society, but now they need to
be re-framed for a global society. The rules in Paramahansa
Alakh Bara are for a global society. The growth of society
should now centre around the ashrams. The twenty-first
century will be the century of sannyasins and ashrams. We
can foresee this and you should all be ready for it.
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Alakh Bara means invisible boundary and in fact the
traditional ashrams were Alakh Baras in remote places
where there was absolutely no access to the public, very
much like this place. Later on they became integrated with
society and were known as ashrams but the tradition is of
the invisible house where higher spiritual sadhanas can
be done undisturbed and uninterrupted.
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Tulsi:
The Presiding Deity
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
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When I came here, I installed Tulsi in a shrine and put her
in charge of the good health in the Akhara. You do not
even have to eat the leaf, just pray to her for sound health. I
decided to make Tulsi the Ishta Devi, presiding Goddess, of
this place. I planted Tulsi here and she is the ruling Goddess
of this place.
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Now the question comes up, if you eat only once a day, if you
eat pure and natural food, wake up and bathe on time, how
can you fall sick? I have seen so many sattwic people who not
only fell ill, but died of cancer. Even if they do not eat spicy
food, eat pickles, drink tea or coffee, they fall sick and take
medicines all their lives. So I thought to myself, “You will
not find any difference in spite of your sattwic life until you
receive blessings. There is no guarantee that you will remain
healthy only because of your sattwic life.”
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It is necessary to have Shaligram along with Tulsi, but we did
not have a Shaligram. I said, “That is fine. We will bring Tulsi
and Shaligram will come on itself.” Soon after we received
bags of Shaligram. A stranger sent them from Nepal, and a
sackful has been stored. I understood then that the resolution
of worshipping Tulsi was the right one. There was only one
problem before me – I should not miss even a day of my
anushthan.
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illness myself. Earlier, even if I felt a bit unwell, it would not
make much difference to me. I would just rest and fast and
be fine again. However, here I could not miss even a day of
sadhana. That is why I selected Tulsi Devi.
Mother Tulsi
Tulsi is a botanical plant. It is basil. Each plant has got some
property which is known to the pharmacists. Tulsi has got
many properties. Tulsi has got a property to resist disease.
Chemically-based antibiotics are also used for the same
purpose, to counteract disease. In India Tulsi is considered
to be the killer of all pains and diseases and to be the most
important of all plants and herbs.
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Tulsi is the presiding deity of the Paramahansa Alakh Bara.
And Akhara is a special place of sadhana. Every Akhara has
its own special deity and here Tulsi, the queen of medicinal
plants, is the Ishta Devi.
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I had thought about what the biggest obstacle to my sadhana
could be. I am a man of truthful heart and robust, sturdy
body. Once I decide something I am fully committed to it
and my determination in anushthan never falters or flags.
But interruption can come from physical sickness like
coughs and colds. This is the dharma of the body. Old age
and sickness can bring me down from a five star level to a
no star level.
Worship of Tulsi
I worship Tulsi twice a day, I do it regularly and I like it very
much. Such worship does not require a good intellect, but it
requires a good heart.
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One who has neither a good intellect nor a good heart, know
him to be a poor, deprived person. One who has a good
intellect but no heart is like a fancy sweet shop where the
sweets lack sweetness. What can you really do with high
intellect? Do you love your wife with your intellect or your
heart? Is hate for your enemy intellectual or emotional? Love,
hate, mercy and lust are all manifestations of the heart, not
the intellect.
That is why I worship Tulsi twice a day. I made her the Ishta
Devi, the tutelary deity of my Akhara. There is only one
prayer I submit to her, “Keep me healthy as long as I practice
spiritual life. The moment you see there is something wrong
and that I have moved away from spiritual life, take this body
away.” What is the use of this body? It is a 1923 model and
there are many later models. I am putting this in a witty way,
but I am speaking from my heart.
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Tulsi
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
Soon after Swamiji set foot on Rikhia soil, this barren land
which was full of all kinds of weeds, rough grass, stones and
dried cracked mud, began to sprout Tulsi. And the Tulsi that
manifested was Shyam Tulsi, the Tulsi with the dark bluish
hue which is found in Badrinath - Shyam Tulsi. All over this
land, all over the property, the Shyam Tulsi began to spring
up. Swamiji took that as a blessing and made Tulsi Ma the
Ishta Devi of Rikhiapeeth.
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Then Shaligram arrived, which is the symbol of Vishnu and
is found in the Gandaki River. Each year ‘Tulsi Vivah’ was
performed by Sri Swamiji, a simple, beautiful and sanctifying
ritual of the wedding of Tulsi with Shaligram.
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Ganesha
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
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He told me further to serve him well, since he is not like
his father. Lord Siva is unconcerned about his comforts. He
takes ganja and is always in an avadhoota state. You cannot
clean the place when he is around. On the other hand Lord
Ganesha is tip-top and likes to eat well. Ever since he arrived,
my way of thinking has entirely changed. I have to serve Lord
Ganesha and so I have to prepare nice food now. Khichari
is a thing of the past. Now someone comes to prepare puris,
parathas, halwa, cake and chocolate for him. Lord Ganesha
is very fond of modaks and the deity who is fond of modaks
gives us prosperity in return. Lord Ganesha has a big belly
and without a big belly you cannot enjoy all this.
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When I propagated yoga like a bulldozer in the West and had
the scientists shave their heads, it was possible only because
I knew where to go and where not. I always received full
instructions from Him.
I worship Ganesha, bathe him and give him food. I give him
new cloths every year. At the end of the winter I will remove
them and give him summer clothes. The clothes I have taken
off him I will give to some of you. Every year if you come,
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I will give you more. This cloth is not for any purpose; it is
just an icon. Just keep it in the place where you do pooja,
worship, or where you meditate, or where you keep your
holy book, whether it is the Bible, the Koran, the Ramayana,
the Guru Granth Sahib or any other book. Just keep it there.
It is an icon, it is auspicious and it will remove so many of
your problems.
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life became such that I had to worship them. Lord Ganesha
came to me and said, “Even if you do not accept me, I am your
guest.” How can I not accept him? Within twenty-four hours
a statue of a Madrasi Ganeshji, another Bengali Ganeshji
and yet another Muslim Ganeshji arrived here. Now what
alternative did I have but to worship them? But since I do
not know pooja, I only offer agarbatti, incense stick, to each
of them. After that a big change occurred in my life.
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Ganesha lives at Rikhiapeeth in
Ganesh Kutir
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
Here in Rikhia, at
the Tapobhumi of
Gurudev, Ganesha is
the most important,
because Guruji
installed him here.
He is Gurudev’s
Gurubhai. For
twenty years Sri
Swamiji did the
worship of Ganesha,
and this continues
till today. He even
built Ganesh Kutir
for him, so we have a
house for him. Since
then Ganesha kept
arriving and now
we have an army of
Ganeshas.
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Ganesha started here in the Akhara, our kitchen changed.
Before that we were only eating khichari, but as soon as
Ganesha came, idli and dosa, pulao and puri started coming
in, and it happened on its own. So I knew that Ganesha wants
to come.”
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The Ganeshas which Sri Swamiji installed at Ganesh Kutir
are most special as Paramahansaji himself performed their
prana pratishtha and worshipped them daily waking them
each morning with Ganga jal, incense and arati. This tradition
continues even today.
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Ananda Utsav, annual worship of all the Ganeshas of Rikhiapeeth
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Rikhia is my Airport
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
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day I shall leave this place and never come back. I do not have
the habit of going back. I have never practised looking back.
What is the use of looking back? How many times have I been
born? How many parents have I had? How many times have
I enjoyed pleasure and borne sorrow? How many friends and
enemies have I had? Where are they now? Whom should I
search for? Even in this birth how many friends have I had?
Where have they all gone?
Life is transitory. You have to forget the past. If you don’t, then
eventually one day everything will be sealed in a crypt by itself.
Sometimes when you have a deep connection with someone,
it manifests again in a later birth in some form and a little bit
of interaction takes place. Apart from this, no one is related
to anyone in this world. We come with a gust of wind, meet
on a shore and then separate to go our own ways. We are all
guided by the winds of karma. Therefore, I have maintained
a steady attitude in life. I accept the fact that people meet me
and then go away. A sadhu is nobody’s friend. When offered
a smoke, he shares a puff and then slips away.
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PART II
Feasting on Memories
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
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Feasting on Memories
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
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It was during this time that our neighbours began knocking on
our door for help, they were hungry, they needed medicines,
shelter and clothing. The very basics that we take so much for
granted were unavailable to them. We started helping them
in whatever way we could and help started pouring in. Our
work began in full swing when, in 1995, Swami Satyananda,
accepting that as the will of God, gave us the green signal
to start this work in earnest in an organized and systematic
manner, with the attitude of an aradhana, or worship of God
in living form.
Rikhia Transformed
Today, when you see the same place and the people, especially
the children, you may not believe the condition they were in
hardly ten years ago. They would qualify perfectly for a
before and after advertisement if you know what I mean!
How did it all happen? The very same children, who at that
time did not have the confidence to look you in the eye and
answer a simple question like what is your name, today are at
the helm of the Rikhia ashram, speaking wonderful English,
designing the ashram calendars, conducting all multifarious
programs, singing soul stirring kirtans, conducting yajnas
with perfect intonation of Sanskrit mantras which would
make even a pandit sit up and listen. It all happened because
Sri Swamiji stepped into their lives and changed their destiny
forever by showing them how to dream.
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Reliving the Memory
Swami Satyananda came into the lives of everyone like a
full force gale, and he lifted everyone up. That was Swami
Satyananda, and on each 23rd September we relive that
experience of his coming to Rikhia, and the more alive that
experience of reliving becomes, the more you will feel his
presence. This is a way of elevating your mind.
In the same way, that Guru tattwa just comes into you, and
you get a feeling of enormous strength from it. That is what
I am experiencing and that is what all the people here in
Rikhia have been experiencing for the last twenty-five years.
They say that God came into their lives. That is what the
villagers say.
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They are innocent people. They don’t know intellectual
philosophy. They are simple, innocent people, yet they say,
“God came into our lives.” This is because their whole life
was changed from the moment Sri Swamiji entered their lives,
this gave them tremendous strength and self-confidence.
Their awareness was elevated when Sri Swamiji stepped
into Rikhia, and after that Rikhia was never again the same.
It was the day of the equinox, when day and night are in
perfect balance; twelve hours in the day and twelve hours in
the night and he came at midday. So you see, even the planets
were supporting his arrival here. Everything – the nature,
the planets, the whole universe was supporting his arrival.
He marched in here like Rama marching to Chitrakut, and
everyone was taken aback by that moment. This land was
taken aback by his footsteps and never again was anything
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the same after that. It happened in such a simple and pure
way, there was no element of impurity in it. It was pure,
simple, natural and humble.
Swamiji lived here twenty years, and twenty years was a long
time for him to live in one place. His whole life, he never lived
that long in any place, not in his home, not in Rishikesh, not
in Munger. He was always moving in and out and in and
out, but here he lived uninterrupted. For twenty long years
he lived in Rikhia, and so you can imagine the kind of benefit
that this place derived from his coming here.
Many people may not have even seen him. Some have heard
him, others have heard about him, and for them the experience
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will be different. But they too will feel the importance of this
moment. They too will feel something very special about this
moment. They may not understand it in the way that those
of us who met him and knew him do, yet they will still be
swept away and carried by the importance of this moment.
This is the muhurta, the auspicious moment of Rikhia
Agaman. We are all together in this, offering our love and our
memories to Swamiji with joy and bliss. Offer all memories to
him, even if it is not a good memory, don’t worry. Guru, like
Siva, has the power to consume everything. He can consume
the poison, and he can also refine it for you and purify you.
So whatever memory you have, offer it to him today. Today
is the day – don’t miss it, don’t lose it.
Destiny of a Land
Whatever is ordained to happen in anyone’s life, try as you
might to oppose it, it will happen. Rikhia was a barren and
desolate place when we first arrived. There was nothing here
and we had nothing. So when Swamiji told us that we had to
start the work, we had to start from scratch - we didn’t have
anything as simple as a needle. We had to start collecting
things and using our creativity but when there is a mandate
like the one Swamiji received then it becomes possible.
Rikhia 1990
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In the early days we used to live in mud huts or out in the
open. You should have seen the Rikhia of that time, it was
absolutely beautiful. It was so simple but it had such an
incredible energy and vibration, radiant and vibrant. The
buildings started to come up because an infrastructure was
needed. I knew nothing about construction, I didn’t even
know that there had to be a foundation to make a building
Rikhia 2021
101
or about bricks, sand and cement. This was an immensely
challenging task in front of me. There was nobody here so
single-handedly I had to do it. Every time Swamiji used to
say, “Okay, now here you make this,” and as soon as it was
finished he used to give me plans for something else to be
constructed. So that is how the work started here brick by
brick. Sannyasins used to drive the tractor to the river to
get the sand to make bricks ourselves and provide some
employment to the local villagers.
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a destiny, and that destiny unfolds at the right time, at the
right place, at the right moment and by the right person.
When Paramahansaji set foot in Rikhia, the destiny of this
place changed forever. I never knew that one little rikshaw
ride from Deoghar would land me in this gravitational pull
and sweep me off my feet.
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I am feeling lighter, I am feeling unburdened as if something
heavy is dropping off.”
Choosing to Remember
The 23rd September 1989 is Rikhia Agaman, the day that
Paramahansaji first stepped foot on this soil and its destiny
changed forever. Every 23rd of September is Rikhia day. It
is happy day. And it is also memory day.
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your memory or his or her memory. It is my memory and
how much I can keep that alive within me depends on me.
The intensity of reliving it increases if it is alive in me, and
this moment is so alive.
Swamiji used to sit the whole day at the Sanatan Agni Vedi
and the Maha Kaal Chita Dhuni. He would sit in his langoti
and do his japa. It was so hot and there was nothing here.
It was not like it is now, it was barren, dirty, full of weeds.
There was a small kitchen where he would cook, and we
would watch him and learn because none of us knew how
to prepare food. He had a set time of 40 minutes to prepare
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the whole day’s food, and it was so tasty. I have never eaten
anything more tasty than that, really. Whatever he prepared,
it was always simple and very tasty.
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And not just a lesson, he gave an experience. In Rikhia Sri
Swamiji initiated the possibility of opening the heart. He set
that wheel in motion here, at the Hridaya Peeth, the place
where Sati’s heart fell. This is most significant.
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or sick or in difficulties. We remember those things more.
Memory is what your life is built on, and also your future.
What will you carry with you? Just your memory. You’re not
going to carry this body, you’re going to carry your memory
in the form of a hard disc, your karmas.
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So, every year we celebrate Rikhia Agaman. Earlier we used to
celebrate it in a simple way. We would walk in with a picture
of Sri Swamiji held high so Swamiji sees everything when we
bring him in. There were only three of four of us back then,
but now it has become a big drama! Somebody rings the bell,
another person holds the umbrella, we sprinkle flower petals
and Ganga jal. It’s good, it should be like a drama, a real-life
drama. Let’s see. And who knows maybe the Rikhia Agaman
will take place again. This is his promise.
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The Moment of Agaman
Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati
110
A New Vision for Humankind
Rikhia agaman opened a whole new view, a new vision
for humankind at large. What Sri Swamiji initiated here is
something that I can very safely say was not yet seen by the
world. Everything in his life had a very specific purpose,
always for the upliftment of people. Rikhia evolved as a
means of uplifting the people and installing the spiritual
precepts and the teachings and vision of Swami Sivananda,
and these have become the aim and lifestyle of the place. This
is the need of all society at present and also for the future, as
the situations deteriorate and mind sets get imbalanced. This
experience and this lifestyle, which Swamiji established here
is going be very much in demand by the citizens of our globe.
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take you back to the moment, they make you relive and
reabsorb, reanalyse, re-imbibe those precious moments in
time that we spent with our master. And it is this that keeps
the connection. For those who have not seen him, it may be
difficult to know what we experienced and feel, but still they
catch onto the feeling and also experience the subtlety and
the essence of this connection. In this manner, the connection
and the inspiration live on.
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Light of Inspiration
The 23rd of September is a day of historic importance for
Rikhiapeeth, for it was on this day that our Guruji first
stepped onto what was then a barren land. Rikhiapeeth is
not a property. Rikhiapeeth is the spirit that connects us with
him. We are part of that spirit, and it is his eternal and ever-
luminous presence that we are able to feel today. This is an
experience that we should always cherish in our lives, for it
is an experience which connects us to beauty, to something
positive, uplifting and fulfilling.
When our Guruji came here his aim was not to establish
an institution. He came here because he received a
mandate and instructions from his Ishta Devata, Bhagawan
Trayambakeshwar. He did not come to fulfil a desire; he came
to fulfil the divine mandate and divine sankalpa that were
revealed to him. He came here for solitude, and he lived as a
renunciate, as a dedicated tapasvi living a life of austerities.
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who do not agree with what Guru says. Under the guise of
dedication they manipulate the sankalpas of Guru to serve
their own selfish means.
Sri Swamiji was not one of those disciples who use Guru
as a stepping stone to fulfil his own desires. Our Guruji, Sri
Swami Satyananda, was a rare jewel who not only followed
the instructions of his Guru to the letter, he also left behind
a parampara, a tradition, with a philosophy and principles
we could follow for the welfare and upliftment of society
and mankind.
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bow down to those people who had darshan of Sri Rama. We
have not seen Rama, however we have lived in a time when
luminaries like Swami Sivananda and Swami Satyananda
took birth. We have had the good fortune of knowing the
people of this great parampara, this great lineage. They have
touched our lives and made our lives beautiful, and they are
still guiding us.
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This beautiful story illustrates the quality of a saint, a tapasvi,
a siddha, a great man. He will colour your life with whatever
colour you desire. He will colour your life according to your
social, mental, spiritual needs, according to your desires and
cravings. Guru is also like that. He fills your life with colour
according to your desires, in order to give you happiness and
peace and to inspire you to be positive and creative in your
expressions in life. Guru inspires you and makes sure that you
move from the negative expressions towards the positive and
creative expressions in life. For a man to be endowed with
divine qualities and spiritual awareness is a great wonder,
because he gives you a direction and a path to tread upon.
A Divine Mandate
Sri Swamiji came here to fulfil the divine mandate of
performing austerities and sadhana of naam-smaran
with every breath, and it was during these sadhanas that
he received the three principles of Serve, Love and Give
revolution. He did not do this to establish an institution; he
did it to offer society a better way to live. This revolution is
now fructifying in Rikhia, in the lives of kanyas and batuks
who were brought up under his protection and who have
lived their lives in his embrace, and in the lives of all the
people living in the nearby villages who have received his
love and affection in bounty. It was the grace of this great
sannyasin that a new life, a new philosophy, a principle and
a sadhana were established in this place.
Even though he left his mortal frame, this work has not
stopped. In fact, it has become more vibrant and alive through
the lives of the kanyas and batuks and the people of Rikhia.
The sankalpa of Serve, Love and Give, the samskara and the
flame that he kindled in their hearts, is making their lives
brighter and brighter. This is the flame of the austerities he
performed, and it has transformed this whole place from a
barren land to a tirthsthan, a holy place recognized all over
the world. Only a saint can give such a gift to the mankind.
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Whether you understand it or not, whether you accept it or
not, there is a miracle taking place within you, on the mental
plane and behavioural dimensions, and it is happening
spontaneously here in Rikhia. You have received the light
in your path, and now you have a way to come out of the
vicious circle of negativity and embrace positivity in your life.
Each 23rd September we commemorate that very moment
when our Gurudev, Sri Swami Satyananda, came to Rikhia
and lit the flame of inspiration in our lives. This memory has
the power to inspire you to tread upon the path of light, and
your goal in life should be to live and express your karmas
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There is nothing more to say. Don’t try to think or analyse,
do not try to connect with your intellect and mind, with your
brain and senses. Just be in his presence. That is enough. Just
be in his ambience and feel him, experience him and be with
him. Just merge. That is the best way you can experience his
presence in your life, through the spirit that is shining in
Rikhiapeeth. When he came here, he lit a jyoti. Let us merge
with that light.
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Roots of Rikhia
Look at what happened in Rikhia, and understand what
has happened in the past. There are many people now
who are new to the inspiration that Sri Swamiji created,
who have come to the ashram after Sri Swamiji’s Maha
Samadhi and who have not had contact with him. There
are also many who knew him whilst he was in Rikhia and
have been the witness of the development and growth,
both external and internal, here in Rikhiapeeth. There
are few who recall his time pre-Rikhia where he worked
to propagate and spread the message of yoga from door
to door and shore to shore, following the mandate of his
Guru, Swami Sivananda.
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He arrived at Rikhia because he was guided. Possibly he
did not even know what was in store for him, because each
moment was revealed to him as he immersed deeper into
the awareness of the cosmic power, cosmic self, called God.
Sri Swamiji expressed such things very clearly. You can read
about it in the books, like Bhakti Yoga Sagar, where his own
words describe what he felt, understood, realized, and what
he lived. Everything is there in black and white. We have the
written, verbal and visual records of what he contributed to
Rikhiapeeth, from which we are all benefiting from today.
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On the gate there used to be a sign ‘Do Not Come Again’. Sri
Swamiji used to explain that, “I have come here for sadhana,
not to meet with anybody. If I had to meet with anybody,
why would I leave the institutions which I had created?
Leave me alone. When you come, you are disturbing me in
my isolation, in my seclusion, in my remembrance, in my
sadhanas.” Nobody was allowed to enter.
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He was following a call, the call of destiny. He was following
the mandate of God. He was living the life of a sannyasin
and not as a friend or companion to anyone, a life to which
he had committed to in the early twenties before you were
born. His commitment to sannyasa was complete and
total. His commitment to yoga was complete and total. His
commitment to his Guru was complete and total.
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What for? Was it his choice? No. Sri Swamiji said, “I was
told to give, to provide for the neighbours what God had
provided me with. I had been provided with the right
comforts of shelter, food, health, clothing, the basic luxuries
of life. Fans, electricity, fridges or an AC are not required to
live life naturally.”
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PART III
Vision of Rikhia
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
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Vision of Rikhia
I came to Rikhia on 23rd September 1989. I pitched my tent,
then I made a small kutir, a grass hut. The instructions were
clear “Keep away from disciples, money, gurudom. Eka
Niranjan. Just remain alone, in absolute solitude.” That is the
dharma of a Paramahansa. I am not a head of an institution,
I am not a Guru. I am an individual. I should not and do not
want to be a Guru. I do not want to give advice.
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up to four in the afternoon. Then I would sleep for two hours
and on waking up resume the recitation, as if in one breath.
Thus I would take fourteen or fifteen hours to complete the
Ramacharitamanas. This is a simple sadhana.
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This was not an idea. This was God’s mandate. It was not
hallucination. It was a mandate and I heard it very clearly! I do
not experience strange psychological states. I am a perfectly
normal person, but that set me reflecting on His words.
God had given me the idea during that first year, when I came
out from the Panchagni sadhana. God told me, “I have given
you shelter; you too give shelter.” I have a small kutir. That
is the facility my God has provided me with. I will provide
others with the same facility, because He has ordered it.
I told myself, “Satyananda are you very selfish? Will you eat
all the sweets yourself? Will you have darshan of God all by
yourself? What is the use of the atmajnana that you attain?
How can the world benefit by your spiritual gain and self-
realization? You are very selfish, give up selfishness.” I said
to God, “Show me the path. I am blind. Tell me what to do.
To give them clothes is not enough. Money is not enough,
money cannot buy love. I cannot purchase love and give it
to somebody.”
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of japa before Chaturmas ended. It took me three hundred
days and it was very difficult.
World Family
The idea of helping others is very easy to have, but when
it comes to implementing it, is not an easy job. It requires
organizational skills and so many great qualities. Difficulties
arise, despite being a renunciate. A sannyasin should
abide by the dharma of a sannyasin, otherwise it is useless
to change the garb, name or sect. Sannyasa has only one
dharma - to work for the welfare of others and that is their
only work.
Saints are not born for salvation, for gaining knowledge or for
mere worship. Saints are born to prepare the ground for the
arrival of God. If I am born for the Lord, then I must complete
the groundwork for him. If each saint or sannyasin takes
moral responsibility for the development of one panchayat
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in India, there will be no need for a five year plan because
we have plenty of resource. Everything is possible where
there is goodwill.
The world family begins with your own next door neighbours.
The world family starts from your own village, from the
people in your immediate neighbourhood. Don’t talk about
Vedanta as long as their misery, shocking condition and
abject poverty does not touch a chord in your heart, as long
as their suffering does not become part of your suffering,
their difficulty does not become your difficulty, their pangs
of hunger do not become your pangs!
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A Blank Cheque
God has asked me to do the work that is being done in the
villages of Rikhia, so I am doing it. He provides me with the
means, and as long as he asks me, as long as I live, I will do it.
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Serve, Love, Give
Swami Sivananda’s fundamental philosophy of life was
service. His priorities were: “Serve, love, give, purify,
meditate, realize.” Meditation was at the end of his list, a long
way off. Whereas you start your spiritual life with meditation,
my Guru’s spiritual life started with service and culminated
in meditation. The beginning of spiritual life stems from
service to humanity.
Jesus said, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of
a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
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You should not depend on wealth as your security in life.
Security in life is purification.
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It took me many years to emulate my Guru and practice his
principles. He used to say, “Whatever you have, give it to
others. It does not belong to you.” I never understood him
then, but now I do. Nothing belongs to me, nothing is mine.
I am just a medium.
Atmabhava
What is the first thing in Vedanta? Atmabhava. “One who
finds me in all beings, one who finds all in me.” It is written
in the Ishavasya Upanishad: “Let your suffering be my
suffering, my suffering be your suffering.”
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You can do everything more efficiently when you live like a
sannyasin with the feeling of dedication and non-attachment.
Every action can be done in the spirit of sannyasa. This is
written in the Gita as well.
This is what a sadhu should do. Every sadhu must do it. The
growth of society should now centre around the ashrams.
The number of the twenty-first century is three and this is
the number of sannyasa also. In this century there will be a
large number of sannyasins. Why? Because otherwise the
governments will not manage.
We are working for rural development and all the work will
be done first for Rikhia county. Of course the whole of India is
our county, but once we start here others will also understand
how good work for humanity is possible through yajnas and
how good people from far away places meet each other at
yajnas. Those who cannot come by train will use the airstrip
which is being planned in the nearby town of Deoghar. One
day there will be an airport and you can come easily.
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It is better to live in the villages and teach the local people
some skills that will help them to improve their conditions.
Now in Rikhia we have employment plans for all the
women, including carpentry, electrical work and farm work
with the newest methods. You can teach the woman how
to sew fashionable clothes in the latest styles and then find
a market for these garments in the city, sell them there and
send them money order back to the village. There will be
work for old women too and education for little girls. There
should be some art and attainment possible for women and
girls.
Ask the people of Rikhia. I came here in 1989 and since then
change has taken place. Do you remember how it was here
when I entered Rikhia in 1989? The ladies did not even have
enough cloth to cover their bodies! If you enter a colony and
the ladies are not clad properly due to poverty, what does it
mean? That they are still living in the primitive age. This was
just one aspect of their plight and condition when I arrived.
People say openly that for days at a time they had no food to
eat. There are people who say, “Swamiji our daughters did
not eat for two or three days.” Now their daughters who have
been born after I came here have a nice time.
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Earlier during the day no one would pass this way. Today,
Rikhia is slowly entering in the 21st century. We have PCO’s,
mobile networks, satellite connections, cyber cafes, internet,
shops, traffic. Nowadays at least fifty to a hundred scooters
pass by. And even nice, bright, well-dressed children in
school uniforms going to school and ladies wearing nice saris
and woolens in winter.
As you can see, now things have turned. You have seen the
boys and girls of Rikhia. You should have seen them before.
Today, the children speak English, chant in impeccable
Sanskrit and have developed many other talents. They are full
of surprises. Some of the girls even go by bicycle to Deoghar
to study in college. The change is very apparent. The parents
too have undergone a transformation. They are comfortable
and happy, not in dire need as they were when I came in 1989.
This change has taken place not because we give them many
things, but because the children, the kanyas and batuks
who come here, have somehow brought prosperity to their
families.
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sweets, bel leaves nor Tulsi leaves. It will be ten thousand
items of clothing for women, children and men. Rickshaws
and thelas for the strong young men and auto-rickshaws for
the educated men. Marga Sheersha is the best month of the
year and we choose it for distributing the prasad.
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phrase, “I love you” but I have never heard anyone say, “Love
me.” Yes I love you because it is my duty, but whether you
love me or hate me or kick me, what you do is your duty. You
can say, “I hate you, you are a damned fool!” It’s up to you.
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Sankalpa
Swami Satyananda Saraswati
I have always prayed with the sankalpa for the wealth, long
life, good health, success and prosperity of everyone. Let
everyone be happy, let everyone be healthy, let everyone
look upon everyone else with equanimity and may no one
ever feel any pain or sorrow.
May all be happy, may all be free from disease. May all receive
the auspicious blessings of God. May no one experience
suffering and if there is suffering then feel happy because
God’s grace, Mother’s grace, the grace of the Divine, is in us.
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that the three cardinal teachings of Swami Sivananda will be
practiced and lived here. This is the future vision of Rikhia.
The salt of the earth are the poor people. Eighty percent
of India is poor. They make up eighty percent of Rikhia
panchayat too. It is these people we have to keep in mind.
They live a pathetic life, and we have to do something to raise
their standard of living. What is written in your newspapers
and books is rubbish. Unless you are able to bring happiness
to each and every person, your philosophy is a farce. It is
meaningless. Your religions are futile.
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Seva as Sadhana
Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati
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beloved disciple Swami Satyananda did not allow that
seed to diminish or perish, he nurtured it and allowed it
to blossom at Rikhia.
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Free as a Bird
Once you have surrendered
To the Guru completely,
You become as free as a bird,
Able to fly anywhere
Or do anything.
So do not be afraid of surrender.
Commit yourself,
And discover infinity.
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There were so many events in my life where I always
thought I was the doer, the main entity, that whatever
happened was because of me. But today, after fifty to sixty
years, I have realized that God is the doer and whatever
has happened in my life is all due to Him. He made
me do all these things. What a fool I was! Had I known
earlier that He was making me do all these things, at least
I would have enjoyed all those years. But today it is all
bliss. The pursuits of my spiritual life are fulfilled and I
do not require anything now. Give your darshan to me
if you so will, otherwise I do not deserve it. For it is His
will that prevails. I am only His servant and a servant
has no choice.
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Rikhia Agaman
Amrit Lahari