The Power of the Guru

David Godman talks about the power of Ramana Maharshi to take away people's karma and confir upon them final realisation at the moment of death. A very moving talk. Runs 40 minutes.

Swami Kriyananda Tribute

The world is running out of great souls. These are the end times.

Tearful Farewell to Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Sathya Sai Baba's newphew R.J. Ratnakar Raju performs the last rites of the spiritual guru.

Image from India Today



Sai Baba was buried on 27 April with full state honours at the Sai Kulwant Hall. An estimated five lakh people (500,000) came to pay their respects, including the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (who also visited Baba at his 85th birthday celebration last year). Baba's nephew, and member of the Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, R. J. Ratnakar performed the last rights.



From Daily News & Analysis India:



Earlier, a little before 9am, the glass casket in which Sai Baba's body was lying in state from Sunday night was removed and the body was wrapped in national tri colour for a brief while.



Men of the Andhra Pradesh Armed Police sounded the last post and fired 21 shots in the air as a mark of respect.



Then the Tricolour was removed and verses from Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Sikh, Judaism and Buddhist scriptures were read out by leaders from these sects. Later, they joined in sprinkling the sacred ash at the samadhi spot as 'mangal aarti' was performed.



With Sai Baba's body draped in his favourite saffron robe, the last rites were performed by Ratnakar, who wept inconsolably, while priests recited vedic chants.



Sai Kulwant Hall will now become the Mahasamadhi Mandir. Radio Sai offers a streaming radio broadcast of the proceedings (I have not listened to the whole program yet), and an email message announces a video of the proceedings will be put up shortly, so devotees in all time zones can have final darshan of Swami.

(The title of this post is adapted from an IBN Live article.)

The Mahasamadhi of Sri Satya Sai Baba

Official Release:



Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is no more with us physically. He left his earthly body on 24th April, 2011, at7:40 a.m. due to cardio-respiratory failure.



Bhagawan Baba’s Body will lie in state at Sai Kulwant Hall for two days (Monday and Tuesday). Arrangements will be made for Darshan after6:00 p.m. today, at Sai Kulwant Hall.



We appeal to all not to rush to the hospital, but to remain calm and have Darshan in an orderly manner.



- Director, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Prasanthigram.

Autobiography of a Yogi

February has been a pretty negative month, hasn't it? Trying to improve the situation, more in line with the Ananda villages video, here is a brief introduction to one of the most influential books of the past century (at least as far as my readers should be concerned). Paramhansa Yogananda wrote his Autobiography of a Yogi in 1946 (an updated version was published in 1952, shortly after he took mahasamadhi). According to the other wiki (take that with as much salt as Bloomberg will permit), Autobiography of a Yogi has been translated into 25 languages and sold more than one million copies. Yeah, it's a real shame that complete and utter shit like Twilight, lacking in any literary, artistic, political, or scientific value (it's about the author's fantasy of a geriatric psycho killer who stalks and wants to rape a teenage girl), has sold a hundred times more copies, but, as Scary Dave says, I ain't bitter.



The video is narrated by Yogananda's disciple, Kriyananda, and includes photographs of many of the locations mentioned in the book and original music performed by Kriyananda. Runs 27 minutes.

The Mahasamadhi of Adi Da Samraj

I have just learned that Adi Da Samraj, great spiritual master and possible Avatar (depending on who you ask), has had his Mahasamadhi on 27 November. While I would say his realization was not in doubt thee were some other issues, leading eventually to his seclusion on the island of Naitauba in Fiji. Following is a tribute to Adi Da provided by Dattatreya Siva Baba on 8 December.

-Dee