What is the connection between these two masters? Bhagawan Nityananda and Maharaj "met" that is to say Maharaj met Bhagavan, and he said about him:
"not a day goes by when I do not think of him"
It's hard to know exactly what these two have in common, but I found out about Bhagavan through Wolinksy. The video I posted of Wolinksy has Maharaj on the right side, and Bhagavan on the left. Their teachings were in the same vein, but different. BN had a teaching that was derived more from the siddha tradition while Maharaj's was unmistakably Advaita. The basic difference is that the Siddha tradition relies far more on the Guru and on the Self (including sometimes worship of the Guru) wereas Advaita is not about the personal as much. That's how I have interpreted it, anyway.
At any rate, what do these dead Indian men have to do with you, you ask? I am introducing them into your psyche because I plan to talk about each other teachings in order to go deeper into the ideas that their teachings contain and what the teachings reveal about yoga in general.
Here are some books I recommend about these two masters:
Bhagawan Nityananda: Nisargadatta Maharaj: Also please visit NetiNetifilms.com for copies of all of Stephen Wolinsky's work and other great work.
Bhagavan Nityananda has been presented to the west by Muktanandas Siddha Yoga organisation and his image has been shaped by that. If one reads what Baba Nityananda said himself, one will find that his language and teachings belongs more to the Vedanta tradition than to the Tantrik tradition. But Baba Nityananda, like Nisargadatta Maharaj and Ramana Maharshi, did not speak in order to confirm with the Advaita Vedanta tradition, they spoke from their own experience of Truth. So, when one reads their words one will find some aspects of their teaching agreeing to be in line with Vedanta, some in line with Tantrika, but all in line with Advaita.
ReplyDeleteIf one wants to read Baba Nityananda's own teachings, please visit http://chidakashgita.org/
Love from a Nityananda Bhakta
I was just going to say what Nityanandabhakta said.
ReplyDeleteIt is important not to confuse the teachings of Siddha Yoga, as formulated by Baba Muktananda, as "lineage" teachings from Nityananda. Muktananda was the disciple of Nityananda insofar as he received shaktipat from him. But Muktananda's teachings are culled from a wide range of darshanas, which he presented as "Siddha Yoga."
Essentially Nityananda taught in silence. I am reluctant even to call the Chidakash Gita Nityananda's "teachings," as it is a compilation of utterances written down by someone who was not completely literate. Not to diminish what it is, but I feel it is a stretch to say that those utterances are "his teachings."
Nityananda's essential message: "The heart is the hub of all sacred places - go there and roam."
Nityananda, by the way, "introduced" me to Nisargadatta Maharaj in meditation. Since that "meeting" Nisargadatta has been my co-Guru, as it were. I am forever grateful to them both.
ReplyDeleteI am a disciple of Bhagwan Nityananda, never met him but his presence is alway felt, I too love maharaji (Nisargadatta) and shree Bhagwan Ramana is also lived here... I also am fond of shree siddha Rameshvaraji, NM guru.
DeleteNityananda, by the way, "introduced" me to Nisargadatta Maharaj in meditation. Since that "meeting" Nisargadatta has been my co-Guru, as it were. I am forever grateful to them both.
ReplyDelete