13/10/2019
A message from Swami Prakashananda:
Baba Muktananda’s
37th Mahasamadhi Anniversary
Jai Gurudev!
Dear Friends:
On the auspicious and holy day of Baba’s Mahasamadhi anniversary I send greetings and much love. The solar day was on October 2nd while the lunar date this year falls on October 13, 2019.
The death anniversary of a great being is considered very auspicious. On that day we celebrate and honor the life of our beloved Gurudev. But sometimes the anniversary brings mixed feelings. As we get closer to the autumn full moon my mind becomes flooded with memories of our beloved Baba. Although I know that he has not gone anywhere, since he is present and guiding me in my dreams and meditation, I still miss his physical form.
Such feelings are of course natural. Even Baba experienced them. I vividly recall one year on the anniversary of Bhagawan Nityananda’s Mahasamadhi. Baba was giving an Intensive that day on Prem (Love). It was also the 100th intensive of his second World Tour. After we chanted the introductory mantras Baba began his talk by saying that it was a good day, being that it was the 100th Intensive. “But for me,” he continued, “it is also a bad day.” He explained this by saying, “My knowledge, my philosophy, whatever I teach, whatever I have learned, is within everyone in the form of Truth.” Then pointing to a photo of his Guru, Baba said that he (Nityananda) had taught him that Truth dwells within everyone.
Baba continued by saying, “Fifteen years ago today, in the morning, was a very bad moment for me.” As he said this, a wave of emotion suddenly came over Baba, and his voice began to break, and tears welled up in his eyes. He said, “That morning I lost a great Guru. It will be very difficult to find his company again in any life.”
With great difficulty Baba continued. “This Intensive is on Prem (Love), but instead only sadness arises. He was my great Guru. He was really very great. He was the greatest. Such beings are very rare. You find such beings very rarely. With only one word, or one touch from such beings, one’s life is completely transformed. Although he did not go anywhere, still, he disappeared from these physical eyes. Nevertheless, even though he left his physical body, he is still with me in his subtle body. Yes, the topic of this Intensive is love, but it appears that my feelings have reversed. Instead of laughing, I am crying.”
I don’t think there was a dry eye in the hall that day. As with Baba and his Guru, Bhagawan Nityananda, we too feel that we have lost a great Guru on that full moon night thirty seven years ago. But like Bhagawan Nityananda, our Baba has also not gone anywhere. It is only that we cannot see him with our physical eyes. I therefore pray that you may all be blessed with a vision of his radiant subtle body.
Sadgurunath Maharaj ki Jai!
With great respect and love,
Swami Prakashananda
Note: In honor of Baba’s Mahasamadhi a devotee has shared two short video clips of Baba. Click on the links below to view them. Jai Gurudev!
Video 1: https://vimeo.com/365882123
Video 2: https://vimeo.com/365882053
